This Is Gonna Require A Little Finesse
by PhantomThiefOnyx
Summary: Kari Molloy grew up next door to the Mercer brothers. Evelyn was her 'second' mother. After graduation Kari left Detroit, leaving behind her only family. What happens when she comes back to help find Evelyns killer? What if she still likes Jack? JackOC
1. She's Dead?

DISCLAIMER:: I don't own 'Four Brothers'. Just Kari and whatever little bits I add to the story.

AN::: I'm rating this story mature becuause of the language:

There's a lot of swearing. ; )

Name: Kari Molloy ('Kar' sounds like the word 'car'; 'i' sounds like 'ee'; so "car-ee")

Nickname(s): K., Legs

Age: 21

Height: 5'10" --Tall (where "Legs" came from)

Weight: 130 lbs. (sorta thin- not skinny)

Hair: Brunette; a little over shoulder length

Eyes: Ice-blue

Style: Very diverse: sometimes punk, or tomboy, or girly-- depending on her mood.

Piercings: Ears (once); Belly-button; Nose (small pink heart stud)

Instruments: Voice, drums (a songwritter)

Music: All variations of rock; hip-hop too.

The phone rang. _Just hang up; don't you know it's 1 in the fucking morning?_ I thought to myself as I willed the phone to shut up. It didn't. I rolled over in bed and hauled the phone to my ear.

"Lo?" I mumbled placing a hand over my tired eyes.

"Kari Molloy?" the voice asked from the other end of the line. It was a familiar voice but I couldn't place it to a face. 

"Mmhhmm. This is her, who's this?" I asked removing my hand and looking at the ceiling with a confused face.

His voice cracked. "I-It's Jerry Mercer." 

I bolted up, sitting straight in bed. _Jerry... but it's been, like, 3 years... why's he crying... oh shit what happened?_ I snapped back to reality. "Jerry what's wrong; what is it?!" I was wide awake now, flicking the light on next to my bed.

"Oh God," he was trying, but failing, to keep himself together. "Ma went down to the fucking grocery store for a bird for Thanksgivin'. Somebody fucking shot her Kari."

Although he hadn't said it I knew Evie was dead. I held my face in my free hand and cried silently. "sniff. When's... uhh... the funeral and stuff Jer.? I'll be there." 

"Two days. I don't know who's gonna show but you can stay at the old house if you want, K." he said his voice was starting to fail him. He'd used one of your old nicknames. It's been a long time since I'd heard any nicknames from the Mercer boys.

"Thanks Jerry, I'll be there for the funeral. Take it easy." I didn't wait for a response I never did. I didn't say good-bye to people on the phone because on most occasions I was going to see them again. 

I couldn't go back to sleep. _How could Evie be dead?! I just talked to her the other day. Oh God, the other day._ I thought to myself miserably.

Flashback  
**"Hi Mrs. Mercer! How've you been? Detroit still the same?" I asked cheerfully.**

**"Well, these old bones aren't getting any younger, but I've been fine. But it never went back to normal here after the boys left, and you too." She said. **_**Here we go, the old guilt trip. **_**I smiled a little. "Have you been keeping out of trouble then Kari, honey?"**

**"Of course I have, I've even got a steady job now and an apartment." I told her.  
"That's good. Well, I won't keep you dear; I just wanted to know if you'd be able to come to Thanksgiving, it's just not the same without you here." She invited kindly.  
"I can't Evelyn. I just can't afford to get back to Detroit. I barely meet the rent here. I'm really sorry."**

**I lied. **

Present  
I knew I could damn well afford to drive up to Detroit to see everyone. It wasn't that I couldn't go; it was that I just wouldn't.

I couldn't face Jack, I felt nauseous now even thinking about how sad he'd been when I had told him I didn't want to see his face again. Immediately after that I'd left Detroit and headed to Chicago where I still lived today. That had been three years ago when I finished High School at the age of 17 and took off that summer.

My family and I had moved into the house next door to the Mercers when I was 9. Needless to say my closest friends were Bobby, Jerry, Angel, and Jack- I was the little sister they all took pride in protecting.

My parents were, as I always put it, "dicks". My dad was always in jail for something or another and my mom was a drug addict and spent most of her nights at other mens houses, when she wasn't at home beating me.

So I spent most of my time living at Evelyns' house and playing hockey with the boys. 

Jack's about a year older than I am but was always in the same grade as me. He and I were inseparable, shadows that followed the other. I'd had a crush on Jack since I stopped thinking that boys had "cooties". I knew that Jack liked me too; not that he'd **actually** said such a thing. But neither of us ever did anything about it because you were afraid it'd be weird.

I couldn't stay in Detroit after High School, I just couldn't. I was going to leave but I didn't want Jack to hold onto anything that might have been between the two of you. So I got in a fight with him and told him I hated him, a lie, but now I couldn't remember what the fight was about.

I'd left the day after the fight without telling anyone where I was going; I'd left my number with Ms. Mercer but asked her not to give it to anybody... for any reason.

_Jerry must have found it looking through her phone book, _I realized.

I couldn't sleep now so I got up and went for a run. Sure, it was dangerous for anyone to be out this late, or early, in Chicago but I had to clear my head. I let the tears fall as I ran down the pavement. I hadn't cried in a long time. I couldn't remember when the last time had been, not even when I'd seen the look in Jack's eyes had I cried; I always held everything inside.

Now everything was just too much.

Back at my apartment I took a shower and stepped into some dry clothes for the day ahead. I called the bar that I work at and told them my mother had died- as far as I was concerned Evelyn was my only mom- I told them I was going to need four or five days off. It wasn't a problem, business was slow and I was normally pretty good about getting to work.

I was digging through my closet in search of my duffel back when boxes started to fall from the shelf above. One box that was pretty heavy dropped and hit me on the head. "Bitch!" I hissed and picked up the box. Sitting on my bed I opened it; there were a bunch of pictures in there. The pictures dated all the way back to the first couple of months in Detroit. Most of them were small hockey games the guys and I had had, school photos and a couple of them were of Evie and I cooking, I could remember Bobby with the camera. _"Bobby Mercer, where did you get that camera!?" Evie had yelled. "I found it Ma, on the road." Bobby said lying through his teeth. "Do __**not**__ bullshit me boy!"_

I had laughed then and I laughed a little now. I looked through the box and at the bottom found a piece of paper; I unfolded it cautiously and looked at the message scribbled there in pencil. It had been written maybe a year before I left, it was how I'd learned Jack liked me- but I never told him I got it.

**SORRY ABOUT MIKE.  
-JACK**  
PS: I LOVE YOU

Mike had been one of my boyfriends; I caught him making out pretty passionately with another girl. I told Bobby, who took the others; they beat the crap out of Mike and threatened to set his ass on fire. They'd gotten grounded for about two months; however none of the seemed too bothered by it. Jacks letter wasn't about what they'd done to Mike, but what Mike had done to me. 

Although the last line had been erased and scribbled over, the indents of the letters were still there. Tears came to my eyes again as I stared at the note and returned the box to the bottom of the closet to avoid future head beatings.

_Jack: I'm sorry._


	2. Straight ish

DISCLAIMER:: _Still _don't own 'Four Brothers'. (damn)

I'd spent that day packing and left the next day, midmorning. The funeral was at 2 in the afternoon. It was going to take me anywhere from 4-41/2 hours to drive from Chicago to Detroit so I left at 10:30.

I pulled up at the cemetery and stretched my lengthy legs.

_Right on time._

I closed my car door and saw Jerry getting out of his. "Hey, stranger." I said with a weak smile.

"Glad to see you made it." Jerry responded pulling me into a brotherly hug, I kissed him quickly on the cheek.

"No kids with you?" I asked while looking around.

"Nah, I didnt want to drag them out here." He said and we both walked to where the casket was.

I easily spotted Jack and my heart nearly stopped. He was sitting there with his head bowed, elbows on his knees; I could see his shoulders shake a little-- he was crying. I walked over and touched Evie's casket, I started to cry softly too. I sank into the seat next to Jack, "How you holding up, J?" I asked. I couldn't think of anything else to say, my mind was blank and my body was numb. Being here at the cemetery really meant she was gone, she wasn't coming back.

At first I wasn't sure if he'd even heard me. After what seemed like an hour he shrugged and looked into my eyes. "Glad you could come, Kari." He whispered. _Damn it Jack, don't look at me like that!_ I opened my mouth to say something when I was interrupted.

"Hey, Legs is that you?" a voice called from behind me. Leaning over the back of my chair I easily spotted Bobby standing with his hands in the pockets of his brown leather jacket.

"Bobby!" I exclaimed happily. I dashed over to him giving him a hug he spun me a little and kissed me on the forehead. "Good to see you're not locked up." I smirked.

"Yea, good to see youre not _knocked_ up." He said with a smirk of his own, as mine faded away rather quickly. I punched him in the arm, harder than he expected. Bobby laughed and put a hand on the top of my head.

"Hey, Jackie." Bobby said looking to my left. "You alright?" he asked.

Jack nodded.

"You sure?" Bobby asked skeptically.

Another nod.

"Come here." Bobby said hugging his little brother.

**((Green and Fowlers P.O.V.))**

"That's Bobby Mercer. Heavyweight champion fuck-up of the family. And that's a well-defended title. Would've made his daddy proud if he had ever had one. I used to know him a little. Played hockey with the boy. Got thrown out of 60-odd games before the league finally had enough of him. They called him the 'Michigan Mauler'." Lt. Green commented as he and Fowler pulled up the street that Jerry lived on now.

"Who's the kid?" Detective Fowler asked.

He chuckled. "Oh, thats Jack. He's the youngest. First-class fuck-up, third class rock star."

"He don't look like trouble." Fowler said a little confused.

"He's a Mercer. Don't let him fool you." Green told him as they pulled up out side the house on the other side of the street.

"And the girl, I thought you said it was just the Mercer _brothers_." Fowler muttered skeptically. While giving the girl with brown hair a once over. "And there's no way that she's really a guy with a sex change."

Green laughed a little, "That's Kari Molloy. She lived next door to the Mercer boys, her dad was always in and outta jail; and her mom was a known drug addict. She spent most of her time at Evelyns. Keep an eye on her too, she's their unofficial little sister and she follows orders. When they know they're being watched they get Kari to do their dirty work, although most of the shit on her rap-sheet (((AN: criminal record can't remember the right phrase))) is her own doing." Green finished as he and Fowler walked up to the front yard. Kari was sitting on the front steps outside the house and Bobby and Jack had been talking with Amelia and Daniela when the two girls ran into the house.

**((Karis P.O.V.))**

Green and a new detective I'd read about in the paper, Fowler was his name, walked across the street as Jerry stepped past me and stood with Jack and Bobby. I hopped up too, and walked over standing just behind the guys.

"You been keeping straight Bobby?" Green asked.

"Straight-ish." Bobby said waving his hand in the air.

"Jack." a nod.

"Green." a nod in return.

"How you doing, girl?" Green asked looking past the guys at me.

I smiled innocently, "Fine, kept my nose clean for the past two months!" I said as though it were a casual thing for people to be in jail. "...Mostly..." I murmured under my breath. Jack heard me and covered his laugh with a soft cough.

Green turned to Jerry, "Sorry about your mom, brother. Give me some love, Jerry."  
You all headed inside, the guys stopped in the living room but I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda. When I walked back in Bobby must have said something about the cops in Detroit and how they weren't looking for whoever killed Evelyn.

"Yeah, be easy, Bobby. We got these punks." Green said in a watch-where-you're-headed tone. "Kid playing basketball across the street witnessed two gang bangers running in there, shooting up the place."

"Come on, Green. I used to make a good living around here," Bobby stated, "because cops like you guys couldn't find tits in a strip joint."

_Bobby hasn't changed at all._ Well obviously the two of them left soon after that. I hung out with Amelia and Daniela in the backyard. The last time I'd seen them they wouldn't stop crying, and now they never stopped talking. They had a swing set with a slide and stuff, I smiled at the sight of it. _From pavement to swing sets. Jerry's a good dad._ I sat in one of the swings with Daniela on my lap and Amelia on the swing to the right.

Jack had been standing in the back door way watching me for a little while when he yelled: "Kari, we're heading back to the house; let's go!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming!" I called, while making no effort to get up.

"Let's go!" Jack yelled getting annoyed.

"Fiiiinnneee!" I whined and got up and half jogged to the door. "Dick." I mumbled passing Jack in the door way.

"What!?" Jack yelled and chased me out the front door. I grabbed Bobbys' arm and hid behind him.

"What the hell's going on?" Bobby asked annoyed.

"Jackie's gonna hit me." I whined not taking my eyes off Jack incase he lunged at you.

"This Fairy...? I don't think so." Bobby said which earned him a punch in the arm from Jack.

I took the chance and dashed to my car slammed the door shut. I turned on the engine and rolled down the window, "Hey Bobby, I'll race you!" and booked it out of there.


	3. La Vida Loca

I pulled up outside the Mercers' old house, Bobby, Jerry, and Jack pulled in right behind me. "Nice to be home," I said and then gave a lazy glance to the right of the Mercer house, at my old house, "wish that wasn't there, though."

"So, shit, Bobby what've you been up to?" Jack asked as you all walked to the front steps. 

"I'm a freaking college professor, Jack. What do you think I've been doing?" Bobby snarled, opening the door to the porch. 

"I doubt that." I told Jack, nudging him with playfully with an elbow.

"Same old Bobby." Jerry said half pushing me through the porch door.

"What about you?" Bobby asked glancing over his shoulder at Jack. "You still sucking a little cock left and right, or what?" he smirked

Jack looked pretty pissed, "Fucker." he growled.

"Y"all ain't right leavin' me out here in the cold like this." A voice said from the corner of the porch. I jumped a little because I wasn't expecting it. Jerry turned the outside lights on from just inside the house door. Turned out it was Angel.

"Yo, little brother! You asshole!" Bobby said doing that weird, guy-guy handshake/hug thing. "You ought to be ashamed!"

"I missed my plane." Angel explained.

"Excuses, excuses." I said shaking my head.

"Hey, baby girl!" Angel said hugging me and in the process nearly crushing every bone in my body. I laughed.

"You missed your mother's funeral too, jarhead." Jerry scolded, hugging his little brother. 

"So you shaved off the Afro, huh?" Jack said smiling a little bit. I was glad he smiled, I had to, too; remembering Angels stupid hair.

"Jack!" Angel chuckled, "Haven't seen you in forever."

They hugged, "Yeah, I know." Jack looked at Angel smiling widely. Then he teased, "Did you get your teeth whitened?"

"Man, shut-up, Jackie-poo." Angel said pushing Jack toward the door. You all walked inside, it was dead silent as the five of you looked around. _Things shouldn't be like this. We should all be here to have Thanksgiving with Evie... not to bury her._

I sighed and pulled my duffel bag higher up on my shoulder. I walked through the brothers and into the kitchen. I put the bag down softly by the table. Walking over to the fridge I saw Angel walk in too. "Hungry?" I asked him.

He nodded. I looked in the fridge. "Sorry, she must've been grocer-." I couldn't finish, my throat caught. I reached into the fridge and pulled out the only thing that seem to offer any comfort, a beer. I pulled open several draws trying to find the opener, finally I found it. I put the bottle to my lips as I walked briskly back to the table, grabbed my bag and took the stairs two at a time. I closed the bedroom door behind me. I'd always taken the guest room, which was decorated just as it had been when I was 17; Evelyn had let me decorate however I wanted it.

I let my bag fall to the floor and put the beer on the nightstand next to my bed. I pulled my knees up under my chin while sitting on the bed. I tried to hold it together, but everything was how it was before. I could even still see the dent in the wall where I had punched it once when Bobby had been standing there making fun of me. I had made a move to belt him one in the face but he ducked and I hit the wall. I managed to smile a little through the tears. After a few minutes I could hear a guitar, obviously from Jacks room. I crouched down at my duffel bag and took out a _Detroit Red Wings_ hooded sweatshirt, pulled it over my head, and took my beer walking out of the room into Jacks.

"Hey." I said dropping down onto the bed next to him. He had his back against the headboard, legs straight out in from of him. I laid my head down lightly on Jacks shoulder listening to him play the guitar.

"You O.K.?" he asked looking at me for a second with those dying green eyes.

"I think so," I said lifting the bottle to my lips again, "but I could be wrong, you know?" I said with a small smirk.

"You been crying in here you little fairies?" Bobby taunted sitting down with his back to the side of the bed at Jacks' knee.

"Leave it alone, man" Jack said putting the guitar down next to the bed.

_But you have._ I could see Bobby had done a good job to cover it up but I could tell this was rough on him, too.

"Too weird in Moms room?" Jack asked as he rolled himself a cigarette. I sat up pulling my sleeves down over my numbing hands and holding the beer cupped between the two.

"Oh, man." Bobby complained, "Way too weird. It's crazy. I mean, everything's exactly the same. She didn't change nothing in this house."

"I know, everything is still in my room exactly where I left it. Even the old, clean clothes she had asked me a thousand times to put away are still on my bed." I shook my head. _I should have done that, how long would it have taken, 30 seconds, if that?_ I looked at my beer and then looked away.

It was quiet for a minute, then, "Still making a lot of racket on that freaking thing?" Bobby gestured to Jacks guitar. 

"Yeah, still making a lot of racket." Jack mumbled lighting his smoke. 

Jerry appeared in the doorway, "Look at y'all." He said smiling 

"What?" Bobby snapped 

"Nothing I'm just happy to see you, man. Happy to see my family, tha's all." He said in defense. 

"We're happy to see you too Jerry." I said smiling. 

"I guess I'll stop by the grocery store and grab a turkey or something. Have a Thanksgiving dinner. Let's at least act like were a real family." Jerry offered.

"Mom would like that." Bobby said barely above a whisper. He saw Angel headed for downstairs. "Hey lil' bro, where you think you going?" The four of us smirked, at Angels' expense of course.

"It's a little heavy in there." Angel said not actually looking at any of us. "I'm gonna just go outside and get me a little air."

I practically choked on the alcohol laughing. I managed to swallow without spitting out what was already in my mouth. "You're full of shit, man. Lamest excuse ever!" I giggled.

"You can smell that ass from down the street, huh?" Bobby said laughing too.

"What are you talking about?" Angel said failing to cover his true meaning.

"What do you mean, '_what_?'" I was stunned at how stupid he thought we all were.  
"Come on, what, man." Angel said obviously getting annoyed.

"You know exactly what we're talking about with La Vida Loca." Bobby boomed. Jack and I started laughing, which hurt because I was now lying so my feet were toward Jacks' chest and my head was hanging upside down off the end of the bed so everything was upside down.

"Ain't nobody going to get no La Vida Loca nothing." Angel said, _Yeah he's definitely getting pissed._

"She got a boyfriend." Jerry pointed out.

"She got a boyfriend." I repeat backing up Jerry.

"She's got a hard dick in her right now. She's screaming somebody elses name, and the last thing she's doing is thinking about your black ass." Bobby said laughing along with me and Jack.

"I can't believe y'all coming at me with this crazy junk, man." Angel said shaking his head, his hands in fists. Which I pointed out to Jack and we laughed harder.

Jerry wasn't making fun of Angel like the rest of you were but he tried talking to Angel, too, not that it helped, "She's nothing but trouble, man."

That pissed Angel off. "I'm standing here telling y'all right now, I'm not going to see that girl," he started to actually yell, "AND IM NOT!"

I just shook my head, and finished the rest of the cold beer.


	4. Water?

"Loco Ono is not staying in this house!" I heard Bobby yell. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. Standing in front of the mirror I decided that I wasn't gonna change just yet. I was fine in the navy blue T-shirt and black guy boxers (which I'd bought myself for pajamas). I did however pull on a pair of socks and proceeded to fix my hair into a less messy ponytail.

"Bullshit, Bobby!" Angel yelled back.

"I dont care!" Bobby said with a small laugh, just to piss Angel off more. "La Vida Loca ain't stayin' in this house one more night!"

I was standing at the top of the stairs just listening for my own amusement. 

"So get her stuff!" Bobby ordered. 

"So it's your house?" Angel demanded.

"This ain't no homeless shelter!" Bobby indicated.

"You not running shit, Bobby!" Angel barked.

"You not!" Sofi repeated. I put a hand over my mouth at an attempt to muffle the laughter.

I managed to get rid of my grin and came down stairs. "Would y'all kindly shut the fuck up!?" I yelled, then added, "Hey Sofi." Sofi was probably my only _girl_ friend in Detroit. I'd never hung out with anyone but the Mercers.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sleeping Beauty did we wake you?" Bobby asked sarcastically. 

"As a matter of fact." I stated, walking by him and grabbed a glass filling it with water I hopped onto the counter. 

"They wake you up too?" Jack asked.

I laughed, "Yeah, Bobby's still and ass."

**((FF))**

I was now dressed in a pair of long black baggie jeans, and an orange tank-top/wife beater, with a zip-up black hoodie. I was sitting around watching the hockey game. Jerry was sitting in one of the chairs, Angel was sitting on the ground in front of the record player, Bobby was spread out on the couch, and I had my feet on the couch but was sitting on the head rest of it. Bobby had made Jack make dinner; I couldn't cook well to save my life. Angel flicked this yellow thing at me, I smirked and picked it up making to fling it back at him but turned and fired it at Bobby at close range.

"Why do you always do that?" Bobby growled shooting it back at me, I ducked.

"Shut up." Jerry laughed as I nearly fell over the back of the couch. 

"To be aggravating." I responded. 

"'To be aggravating.'" Bobby said with an annoyed face mimicking me.

Angel flicked a few at Jerry, who finally started to get mad. "Hey, cut it out man, I'm watching the game. Come on."

Angel laughed knowing he was hitting a nerve with Jerry, "You a woman" he said flinching a little as Jerry snapped one of the yellow things at him. 

"Oooohhh!" I gasped laughing. 

"Get him, Jerry." Bobby shouted. 

"Try it one more time." Jerry warned Angel with a deadly glare. 

"What you gonna do?" Angel egged on. (AN: don't know the right phrase I'm lookin' for).

"You'll see." Jerry said calmly, voice barely above a whisper. 

"Big-ass teeth. Bite me?" Angel said in a bring-it-on tone.

Bobby and I both laughed. "You do got some big-ass teeth, Jerry." Bobby choked out through laughter. 

"Yeah." Angel agreed and chucked another one at his older brother. 

Jerry got up off his chair shaking his head. "Yeah get him, Jerry!" I squealed. 

"What's up?" Angel said getting up to face Jerry. "What the hell you doing? 

"Come on, boy." Jerry said waving him on. 

The two of them started wrestling, I smiled then started giggling again as Bobby started commentating the fight. "The Gorgeous Black Ladies of Wrestling, Nitro and Midnight. Nitro got Midnight in a headlock." Bobby started. 

"Get him! Get him, Jerry!" the two of us cheered. 

"Midnight trying to get up, but Nitro's on him!" I was laughing hard with Bobby who was unable to speak. Jerry got Angel pinned, "Okay. All right, all right." Angel begged. 

"I'm still your big brother." Jerry told him with a smile.

"Come on, man, let's eat. Bring out that bird." Bobby said rubbing his stomach.  
Bobby sat at one end of the table Angel was on my right, Jerry diagonally across from me and Jack straight across from me, Evelyn's seat at the other end of the table, just to my left. We all stood for Grace, which Bobby led. "Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, thank you for this day. Thank you for this food we're about to receive and thank you for bringing us together." 

"Amen" we all chorused. 

It was pretty quite as we all sat at the table, the food was really good, I had to hand it to Jack; but everything I put into my mouth I had to force down. I noticed Jack wasn't eating, he was looking at Evie's empty chair he looked scared. I looked back at the plate, a few minutes later I looked at Evie's chair myself. I could see her clearly and she was looking back, _"Kari, honey, you're welcome here when ever you want. You don't have to stay at your mothers' house alone if you don't want. I'll take care of you." _She'd said kindly. I looked at my plate and the fork slipped out of my fingers hitting the plate with a soft _clink_. I pushed out my seat, "I'm sorry." I whispered to the guys and walked quickly to the front door closing it softly. I sank onto the front steps even though it was extremely cold outside. I had tears in my eyes, I wiped them away quickly with my shaking hands, I let a small whimper escape from my lips and buried my face in my hands. After a couple minutes I rubbed my cheeks and sighed looking at the dull gray sky. I placed my hand on the doorknob to open it when someone opened it from the inside. 

"Hey, we're gonna play some hockey. You wanna come, Legs?" Bobby asked. 

"Uhm, yeah, hold on a sec., I'll get my shoes." I said stepping past him and hurrying to my room. 

I hastily pulled on a pair of **WORLD INDUSTRIES **shoes over my socks.

I looked under the bed and found a pair or old white gloves and a **CARHARTT **black wool hat. 

"Y'all better be ready to lose!" I grinned as I set off with the guys.

**((AT THE RINK))**

The five of us played half rink, Angel played goalie. The teams were: Me and Jerry vs. Bobby and Jack. 

"Come on, Cracker-Jack; let's show these ladies some fucking skills!" Bobby encouraged. 

"Oh yeah!?" I gasped in disbelief. "Come on, then. Bring it!" 

We all took off, Bobby and I were the two better players, I managed to keep up with him easily. After about half-an-hour it was tied 4-4. Jerry went to pass the puck to me and Jack checked me out of no where, stealing the puck. I hit the ground and laid there for a second, _Wasn't expecting that. _I jumped up and after a few minutes. Jackie got the puck. I drilled my shoulder into him against the boards but the two of us kept skating; he laughed pushing back as we both fought for the puck. I got it and drove to the net, snapping my wrist to complete a back hander, winning. 

"Shit, Jack, I gotta make a man out of you." Bobby said, obviously mad that his little brother had lost the puck to a girl; he threw a death glare at me as I skated away. 

"Damn it, Bobby." Jack growled annoyed as I smirked at the two of them. 

I noticed Jerry on the phone, so did Bobby. "Let me talk to the girls." Bobby smiled skating over and pulling the phone from Jerry. 

"What are you doing? Give me that!" Jerry yelled as Bobby snapped the phone shut. 

"Get your head out of your ass, Jerry!" Bobby scolded; he dropped the phone onto the ice and shot it away at the side boards. 

"That's my phone, man!" Jerry yelled in disbelief skating after it frantically as the rest of us laughed at him.

**((Mercers'))**

I raced upstairs and showered off, the warm water against my skin relaxed me as they melted with my tears. I hopped out of the shower and ruffled my hair in a towel, then wrapped that towel around my thin body. I managed to sneak down the hall undetected and closed the bedroom door behind myself.

After pulling on my pajamas, which consisted of a T-shirt which read, _"If you can read this, BACK THE HELL UP!" _and a pair or baggy flannel plaid pants, I walked out of my room running my fingers through my wet hair as a make-shift brush. In the kitchen I found Jack. 

"Figured you'd head down here for one of these." He said as I made my way to the fridge, giving him a shy smile smile. He held out a water bottle, the outside was fogged up. It was cold.

I hoped the pink in my cheeks went undetected and took the bottle, "Old habits die hard I guess." I whispered. 

"Are you going to be okay?" Jack asked, he was obviously worried about how I'd broken down at dinner.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks Jack." I said flashing him another smile as I turned and walked back upstairs. 

_Unbelievable, he didn't even do anything and I--_ I clicked off the light in my room and pulled the covers up to my chin. _I can't- I can't do this again, not to me, not to Jack. All he did was remember something as stupid as water and I'm... completely head over heels again... WHY DOES LIFE HAVE TO BE SO FUCKING COMPLICATED!?_


	5. Dreams

_I was petrified, tears streaming down my face, blood streaming down my left arm. I couldn't hear anything outside the door, just a deafening utter silence that was louder than any sound I'd ever heard. Curled up on the floor of the closet, beaten to with an inch of my life at the age of 13 was __**not**__ how things were supposed to go. My mom apparently hadn't had too much fun with her latest screw; that was, evidently, "my" fault. She was high, and on an obviously bad trip-especially on my part. My head felt like it was on fire and consciousness was getting harder and harder to hold onto. Looking at the sticky crimson blood on my long sleeve I rolled it up, stifling a cry of pain as I did so. There was one word carved into my arm by a knife, __**BITCH**__. She'd written that time and time again on my arm in the past, never all the letters at once though; this time it was all of them, and I was pretty sure this was the end. _

_I didn't know how much time had past by, but I suddenly heard a _thump _from outside the closet. My body went rigid, mouth went bone dry and my blood ran cold as I heard shifting and shuffling in my room. _**Please don't find me, I didn't do anything! Just leave me alone!** _I squeezed my eyes shut tightly like a child playing "invisible" (if I can't see you then you can't see me). The closet door slowly creaked open, "Shit..." I heard a voice whisper._

_A male voice, "K...Kari, it's ok. ...Shit!..." he cautiously touched my shoulder. _

_I opened my eyes weakly, "...-ck..." was the only thing that came out of my mouth as I stared pitifully up at my friend._

_Jacks arms slid behind me and under my knees, lifting me carefully and with ease. There was a fire-escape just outside my window, obviously how he'd gotten up. _

_Bobby stood on the ground looking up expectantly, "How're we doing Jackie?" Bobby asked in a hoarse whisper, as to not alert my sad excuse for a mother._

_"A whole world worse than you thought." was Jacks response as he lowered my fragile body to his big brother and hopped down off the ladder._

_"You're gonna be alright, Legs. We're gonna get ya' over to Ma."_

I woke up in an ice cold sweat. My left arm burned slightly, I rubbed the scars absentmindedly as I threw off the covers and slid my feet to the floor. The water was no longer cold but felt good sliding down my throat and felt heavy on my empty stomach. There was a soft knock on the door as it opened letting in the smallest sliver of light from the hall, "K? You up?"

It was Jack. 

"Y-" I cleared my throat, "yeah come on in." I leaned back over to the bedside table putting down the water, noticing for the first time my shaking hands.

He closed the door behind him and clicked on the light. I winced and threw my hands protectively over my eyes. 

"Sorry." Jack laughed and clicked the light back off. 

I felt the bed move as he sat down on it, it took a few seconds for my eyes to readjust, "What's 'a' matter?" I asked him.

"I could hear you tossing and turning in here, you okay?" he asked. Worried, he touched the back of my shoulder gently. His fingers were cold and sent chills up and down my body. Although I had a pretty good idea that temperature didn't have a lot to do with the chills. 

"Just a bad dream. Nothing new. I'm fine." I stated as I turned away from him. 

"Bull." He told me pulling back his hand. 

_Sigh. _"I don't want to talk about it. What the hell are you doing?" I asked, as he lay down on _my _bed and made himself quite comfortable. 

"Well, you dragged me outta bed and I'm fucking tired. I'm going to sleep." 

"W--I didn't drag you outta no place! YOU got up." 

"...Details..." he mumbled yawning. It _was_ 4:00 am. 

Frustrated, I rubbed my face and flopped down next to him staring blankly at the ceiling. I was silent for a while. 

"That time where...where I almost died... it's been coming back a lot, that's all." I tried to sound uninterested, unemotional. That attempt apparently failed since Jack saw right through it. 

"It's ok, Kari." He stroked my hair softly and I closed my eyes relaxing, slipping off into sleep.

**((Jack's POV)) **

Kari's breathing slowed and became even, she was finally asleep. I had planned to stay until she told me what was bothering her, but now I just wanted to stay. Well, there was that, and the fact the she had rolled over and my right arm was pinned under her. 

Her face was so close to mine, it was hard not to notice her breath tickling my lips, or the soft scent of peaches that floated from her hair that tickled my face. I couldn't help it, a smug smile spread across my face.

_She shouldn't still have those dreams; she shouldn't have ever had to have those dreams. _

I draped my left arm across her waist and shifted so my chin rested on the top of her head. I liked it, I felt like I had to protect her and I wanted to do that. When I'd first moved to Evelyn's everyone was always protecting me. Now _I_ wanted to protect someone... Kari. I kissed her forehead softly and closed my eyes. 

**((FF))**  
When I woke up I jumped at the sight of Kari's eyes looking back at my own. "Don't do that!" I told her rubbing your eyes, sure that I was going to die of a heart attack on the spot. 

She laughed, "Sorry, but when I tried to get up you had me in a pretty tight grip." 

"Yeah well, I can't feel my fingers anymore." 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" she requested, taking offense. 

_Shit. _"That's not...uuhh" I fumbled. She started giggling and in the process rolled off the bed with a soft thud. I leaned over and just shook my head at her. "What are we gonna do with you, Kari?" 

"Lock me in a crazy house would be your best bet." She told me with a grin.

I loved that grin.


	6. Can't All Be Saints

**Four Brothers--6**

I leaned over and just shook my head at her. "What are we gonna do with you Kari?" 

"Lock me in a crazy house would be your best bet." She told me with a grin.

I loved that grin.

**((Kari's POV))**

Hopping up and stretching my arms I slugged across the room and yawn, "I'm gonna go shower..." I jumped in front of Bobby and gave him a quick innocent smile before clicking the door closed.

"Oh, come on Kari! You're gonna take a fucking hour and we gotta go soon!" Bobby whined.

_I though we were grown-up now._ A smile crossed my face. "I will not take an hour! And where're we goin'?" I called out as I stepped under the warm water.

"Lawyers''' Bobby's voice came, it seemed farther away, he was heading back down the hall.

"Oh, right. Evelyn musta made a will." I whispered in thought, lathering my hair in the sweet smelling shampoo.

Sitting in the lobby outside the lawyers' office I was wearing a pair of jeans that were too long to wear with my Converse, so much so that they were tattered at the hem from being stepped on and a black turtle neck that was on the tight side, graciously displaying my curves. There were 37 tiles between myself and the door that separated me from the brothers, white and speckled green.

**Like Jackies' eyes... **

_Wait, what the FUCK? Who's this?_

**The little voice in your head you locked away a long time ago. And don't change the subject; you know that was what you were going to say!**

_I...umm...n-no...I'm just bored, and I wanna get out of here--now, I hate fancy places._

**I said DON'T change the subject. You're falling for him.**

_Do you understand how complicated that would be!? --And no I'm not!_

**Yes, you are; and it wouldn't complicate things anymore than they already are.**

_...Fine...I MAY be falling for him a LITTLE...maybe..._

**Hehehe, I always win.**

_...Shut up...! No one asked you to come back you know!_

The door opened and the four of them stepped out, Jerry jerked his chin in the direction of the elevators, "Come on then, I got somethin' to show y'all." I got up pulling the hoodie on and falling into step next to Jack.

**A "little"...riiiiiiight...**

_I thought I told you to go play in traffic_.

"Hey, Ma left this in there for you." he said with a sad smile before handing me a long chain with a locket on it, however the clasp was broken. I looked at it and after applying some pressure I got it to pop open. Inside was a picture of me when I was younger and "_DAUGHTER_" was carved it beauiful handwriting opposite the small photograph. I smiled as it closed with a light _snap_ and slid it into my pocket.

"Thanks, Jack."

He just gave me another sad smile that he seemed to be forcing and nodded. Before I could even stop myself, I slid my hand into his as I walked, he squeezed my hand gently but didn't let go; the elevator doors closed in front of the five of us and it started to descend.

"This is it?" Angel asked his big brother as all of us walked the ramp through a run down warehouse.

"So, this is your dream, Jerry?" Bobby added as he looked around the huge renovated room.

"Yea, gonna build luxury lofts, man." Jerry said with a smile. I'd been walking around the room on my own and turned back at his comment, his smile turning out to be contagious. I was happy to see Jerry so excited about something. "You know, urban sophistication's what I'm talkin' about. This whole first floor here is gonna be lavish offices and storefronts. l'm gonna put stained-glass windows here--"

Bobby cut in rudely, "You got insurance?" he had a twisted grin on. I had a pretty good idea what the oldest Mercer brother was thinking.

"Why?" Jerry asked worridly.

"So we can burn this bitch down!" Bobby wooped laughing taking a gulp of his beer.

"No, we ain't burning shit down! You always wanna destroy something." Jerry snapped, desperatley trying to protect his future plans.

"Look. Look at your little brother. Jack!" Bobby commanded. I rolled my eyes as I turned to see what Bobby's yelling was about, and there was Jack taking a piss.

_LOVELY!_ (note the sarcasm)

"Why the _hell_ do I always come back to the four of you?" I whispered aloud to myself shaking my head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this the master suite? Am I making the property value go down?" Jack asked with a laughing smirk.

"This shit hole gives the term: 'Motor City Breakdown' a whole new meaning, Jerry." Bobby quipped patting his brother on the back.

"How the hell you gonna pay for all this, Jerrimiah" I asked scuffling back across the room to stand next to him.

"Government Redevelopment Loan. Easy to qualify. Low interest rates. Y'all stick around, I might give y'all ass a job."

"Fuckin' A; 'cause I'm gonna need one now brother, with all the time I've missed over in Chicago." I laughed a little. All that was probably true, I won't be too surprised if when I got home there were twenty or more messages from my boss asking where the hell I was.

Angel started laughing to himself then blurted, "They look like nipples." he seemed to be talking about some half sphere things on a shelf.

"Oh my god! I'm surrounded by morons!" I whispered in exasperation. With a playfully disgusted look upon my face I started to walk away toward the exit.

"Whatever. Let's go get a real drink." Bobby declared throwing his bottle away against the ground causing it to shatter into millions of tiny pieces.


	7. The Popos' Is Here!

**Four Brothers--7**

"Y'all stick around, I might give y'all ass a job."

"Fuckin' A; 'cause I'm gonna need one now, brother. With all the time I've missed over in Chicago." I laughed a little. All that was probably true, I won't be too surprised if when I get home there were twenty or more messages from my boss asking where the hell I was.

Angel started laughing to himself then blurted, "They look like nipples." he seemed to be talking about some half sphere things on a shelf.

"Oh my god! I'm surrounded by morons!" I whispered in exasperation. With a playfully disgusted look upon my face I started to walk away toward the exit.

"Whatever. Let's go get a real drink." Bobby declared throwing his bottle away against the ground causing it to shatter into millions of tiny pieces.

The five of us sat the bar of Johnny G, whiskey glasses in hand. The alcohol tingled annoyingly at the back of my throat, but a smile crept over my face as Bobby made a toast and the five of us tipped our heads back and warmth spread through my body. Banging the glasses back on the table Bobby requested more drinks, "Johnny, pour me and my brothers another round. And a warm milk for my sister here."

"Hey!" I snapped, offended at Bobby's comment at me.

"Not you, you moron. Jackie." Bobby explained, chuckling.

Jack replied stubbornly, "Man, I will drink you under the table."

I laughed a little at your lap, Jack had just set himself up for another insult from his oldest brother. _You just refuse to learn, don't you Jackie?_

"We're not talking about sperm, Jack, this is whiskey." Bobby teased, clasping his brother on the shoulder.

About 45 minutes to an hour later we were all sitting at a small table. We were all finding out just who could hold their liquor... and who coudn't. "Jack drinks Jack. Jack drinks Jack." Yup, you guessed it. _O. My. God._ I thought to myself in disbelief, as a smirk infecting my face from ear to ear.

"That's your brother." Jerry told Bobby pointing at the youngest Mercer brother. I tipped my chair back on its two back legs and rested my feet on the table while crossing my arms across my chest, fingers lazily looped around the neck of a half empty beer bottle. Angel gave me a look that said he was about to go ballisitc on Jack if he didn't shut up, which just caused my smirk to widen and I laughed despite everything. Then I sighed and looked at the ceiling with a 'Why did you leave me with these idiots, Evelyn?' sort of look on my face.

"Jack drin--"

"Jack licks ass crack and ball sack." Bobby argued.

I huffed, going through more than 4 minutes of no jokes poking at Jacks' sexual orientation was _APPARENTLY_ too much to ask for. Whatever happened next I wasn't paying attention to. Growing up in my house would have forced anyone to learn how to block out backround noise. So I pictured myself somewhere else: the park a few blocks from Evies house where I used to hang out after school, or during school depending on how many exams I had that day.

I didn't come back down until I heard Jerry swear in frustration; this also caused me to realize we had a visitor; Johnny G was leaning against the wall looking like he had something to say.

"Oh, shit. Here we go. I knew it." Jerry whined, clanging his beer bottle against the table in annoyance.

Sure enough Johnny G _did_ have something to say, "I think I heard something. The neighborhood's really upset about this--"

"Same old Bobby." Jerry cut in; he wasn't done playing 'Jimmeny Cricket' for Bobby, "Ma always said, 'As smart as Bobby is, he just does not like to think.' Ain't no good gonna come from this, man. Let the police do their damn job."

That last comment made me want to puke, "The police Jer?" I spat shaking my head, "Stop with the police, okay."

"Half the cops in this town are crooked." Bobby backed me, "You think the other half give two shits about another liquor-store holdup?"

"I'm telling you, man, Green's on our side on this one!"

"Come on, man." Jack groaned at Jerry in disgust. "Green?"

Finally, Angel, who'd been silent the whole time, decided to grace us all with his opinion, "She's the only woman that ever gave a damn, man. The least we can do is go bang on a few doors and see what happend. We owe her that much."

"Or bang a few doors **down**." I agreed in a mummbled that was barely audible over the chatter in the bar.

"Why are you acting like such a bitch, Jerry?" Bobby growled.

"Okay. So, what...y'all just gonna shoot up the whole town 'cause y'all mad!?"

"Why not?" Angel asked.

"Come on, man!" Jerry hollered, disbelief at how dense his family still was etched all over his face. "The people who did this, they probably from the dame shitty-ass streets we from. Mom would've been the first to forgive 'em. Y'all know that!"

"We can't all be saints, Jerry." I told him, with a sad look in my eye.

"Yeah, we can't all be saints, Jerry." Jack slurred, agreeing with me.

"Yeah, all right. All right; cool." Jerry growled as he jumped up and pulled on his jacket, obviously not pleased with any of us. "Don't call me when y'all get shot up. This _is_ Detroit incase y'all forgot."

"Bye, Jerry!!" I called after him, pretty smug with myself for getting him worked up.

After Johnny had been kind enough to spill his guts about the new gangs in town, we'd all sobered up just a little bit. I hung on Bobby's shoulder affectionately-and partially to annoy him- which I succeeded in doing. "Here, take this would you." he told Jack as he shook me off.

I leaned against Jack as he put a cigarrette between his lips. I let out a sigh of boredom and watched the fog of my breath disappear into the cold Detroit night as the four of us gathered at the trunk of Bobby's car. Jack blew a stream of cigarrette smoke after my own clean breath. His exhale swirled around and was easier to see. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. He just grinned, knowing he had won the unspoken competition.

"You got a burner?" Bobby asked Angel.

"I flew in." _No_.

"Man, be careful with my baby."

"Got ammo?" Angel asked cocking the gun.

"Yeah. It's loaded little brother, careful." Bobby said waving a hand to deter Angel from doing anything stupid. "Here, you carry the gas can."

He thrust the vibrant red container at me, and I stumbled back off of Jack, the side of my body now assaulted by the frigid air. My eyes lit up, "We're gonna go that gas thing!?" I asked, suddenly energized. I'd never been allowed to par-take in 'the gas thing' before.

"Yeah, we're gonna do the gas thing." Bobby squeaked in a horribly mean mimic of my excitment.

I stuck your tongue out at him as he turned away and pulled out a shotgun for himself. _That's a lot of tongue tonight. _I thought to myself, I was still a bit drunk.

"The only thing that scares people more than getting burned to death, is people gettin' eaten alive. Let's go" Bobby ordered starting to shut the trunk.

"What do I get?" Jack interupted expectantly.

"For comin' with us?" Bobby looked around the bed of his car, then handed Jackie a crow bar, "Here you go sweetheart. Poke 'em with that."

"O, thanks." Jack gumbled not hiding his dissapointment.

"You're welcome." Bobby replied looking happy with himself. Then sighed looking at me, "You gonna complain too, Legs?"

I laughed and lifted my right leg so I could reach the top of my boot. A smile slipped across my face again as I pulled out a gun of my own, "Come on now, B. Little ole me out in Chicago all by myself with no protection?" I said in a small innocent child voice. "Unlikely." To my surprise he didn't have anything bad to say about it, he just returned the grin and took off toward the 'abandoned' mall.

"Sure, I'm the only one who doesn't get a gun." Jack mummbled, more to himself.

I turned to him with another smile and said, "Hey, Christmas is coming, behave yourself and I'll think about getting you something this year. Hm?"

"The popos is here!" Bobby yelled in a high pitched voice, next to Angel, me and Jack following close behind. I hand my gun pointed down, but my arm tense incase one of the teens decided to surprise any of you. "Y'all better run, man, these white cops is crazy! They killed Cornbread! They killed him! He didn't do nothin'!"

It was obvious who was running the party, he was at the back sitting in a chair that faced out to the rest of the building. A handful of kids were still there with him, the last thing I wanted was any of those idiots to run, they might know something. So I decided to speak up as my group neared, "Everybody put your _fucking_ hands up!"

"Detroit Police! I wanna see your fucking hands in the air!" Bobby echoed. "Sit down and shut the fuck up!" Bobby bellowed as he shoved the head kid back into his seat. "Give me the gas." I handed it to him and he handed off his shotgun to Jackie.

Bobby dumped the gasoline onto the boy, obviously infuriating him, "Yo. What the hell y'all want? Y'all ain't no cops. What the hell you doin' here, man?"

"You're gonna wish I was the police when I'm done with your ass." Bobby threatened. _Just shut up kid and he won't hurt you. Tell him what he wants to hear. Why did I agree to do this!? _I didn't want to see Bobby beat the shit out of this kid, but I didn't let it show. Or I thought I hadn't; I could feel eyes on me and when I looked up Jack was looking at me with a deeply worried expression on his face. I gave him a small reasuring smile, and he returned it, along with a nod letting me know it'd be okay.

"This is not the talking part, okay?" Bobby told the kid harshly, shoving a piece of blue cloth into his mouth. Holding out his hand, Bobby recieved the lit cigarrette from Jack. "This is the listening part so shut your mouth. You know who I am?"

He shook his head 'no'.

"You don't know why we're here?"

...again 'no'.

Bobby jabbed the light dangerously close to the hostages face, "I know you're not gonna tell me what I wanna know, so I'm gonna light your little bitch ass on fire. Then we're gonna watch you run around here like a chicken with its head cut off, lighting all your little friends on fire. Is that what you want!?"

...a more frantic shaking of 'no'.

"Which one of your boys shot up the liquor store on 104th Street?"

A mummble that I could make out as, "what boys, man?"

"The police got witnesses!" Angel yelled.

"Okay, tough guy. Hey! Now is the talking part. And you better start saying what the _fuck_ I wanna hear. Speak." Bobby demanded.

He wasted no time opening his mouth to do just that, "Man, that shit was counterfeit as a motherfucker, man. Ain't nobody playin' no basketball when that shit went down, okay? Why you think cops ain't arrest nobody?"

That was obviously the _wrong_ answer because it was rewarded with a strong punch from Bobby. "How do you know nobody was playing basketball if you weren't there?"

He obviously still hadn't learned, "Because, _bitch_, police said those people wasn't killed till 11:00."

"So what!?" I chirped, not understanding what he was getting at.

"So, they turn the court lights out at 10:00!" He yelled at me.

Bobby looked at his watch hurredly, looked at the three of us, and nodded toward the exit. Angel grabbed him and dragged him along. "You little fucking bastards need to stay in school."

Jack swung the crow bar lazily in his hand and then rested it behind his neck as he turned back to the smaller mass of people and commented as if he was leaving the party early, "I hope you all have a very nice evening!" then turned back and fell into step next to me. He nudged me arm with his elbow, I looked up at him and he ruffled my hair a little and smiled softly.


	8. Questionable Kill

**Four Brothers--8**

_**Four Brothers Jack Mercer - Questionable Kill8**_

"So, they turn the court lights out at 10:00!" He yelled at me.

Bobby looked at his watch hurredly, looked at the three of us, and nodded toward the exit. Angel grabbed him and dragged him along. "You little fucking bastards need to stay in school."

Jack swung the crow bar lazily in his hand and then rested it behind his neck as he turned back to the smaller mass of people and commented as if he was leaving the party early, "I hope you all have a very nice evening!" then turned back and fell into step next to me. He nudged me arm with his elbow, I looked up at him and he ruffled my hair a little and smiled softly.

((FF))((Kari's POV))

Bobby looked furious to say the least. The lights from the court cast an eerie glow on his face that- had I been the cause of his anger- would send me running if I wanted to see another day. Looking to his watch in annoyance he growled, "It's 10:02 and these fucking lights are still on!"

Angel had the kid by the collar of his jacket, "I know you know who did this, homeboy."

"This is bullshit." Bobby cocked his gun, causing a reflection of light to bounce off it and hit me in the face; snapping me out of my trance. "Let's pop this motherfucker right now." He started to walk towards the lieing bastard and raised his gun.

"Bobby, wait." I called, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Yeah Bobby, take it easy." Jack said stepping forward after his brother, I could hear the apprehension in his voice.

"Shut up, Jack." was the response he recieved.

"Look, wha--" the juvenile stuttered, "Yo, man, they gonna shut off! They gonna shut off, man!"

"Bobby!" I yelled again as he continued to advance. I were seriously worried for this idiots well-being. _Sure, he's a complete asshole; but the boy's only 16...__** if**_ _that._

"Only lights that are goin' off are yours. Let's go." Bobby snarled.

Suddenly the teens eyes went wide and I found it much easier to see down the dark Detroit ally, "Look, look, look! Look." he pleaded pointing behind all of us.

Bobby turned to see that the lights had, in fact, gone out, "You're fucking lucky." he pointed at him menacingly.

I realized that I'd been holding my breath and let out a long sigh. Which was echoed by Jack, the two of us laughed softly at our identical reactions.

"Told you. Man, y'all fools been played!" he hollered smartly. "Get off of me, man!" he barked at Angel, tugging himself from my brothers grip. "Questioning me about the lights being off and all--"

He didn't get to finish because Angel punched him, hard, in the mouth, "Why don't you shut the fuck up, man? You talk too much."

Shrugging my shoulders I let my coat fall from my body and hung it on the peg tiredly, quickly moving out of Sofi and Angels' way as they hurried up the stairs.

_Wow...that's discrete...not!_

Bobby and Jack hung up their own coats, "Jack, it was a questionable kill." Bobby tried to explain.

"What makes you think that?"

"Boy, it's sad, you growing up without a father." Bobby baited. "Nobody taught you anything, did they? I should've stayed around longer and held your little hand, huh, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, you should've, Bobby. But apparently you had more important things to do than help family." I growled coldly, stepping past them in the small hallway. I swept myself into the kitchen and grabbed a Poptart out of the cupboard and sat on the counter.

Seconds later the two of them walked into the kitchen too. "...then pay a witness to throw the cops on to the wrong suspect. You understand?" Bobby asked his little brother.

Jack just raised his arms in confusion and commented, "Why would anybody wanna kill the sweetest woman in the goddamn world?"

"I don't know, Jackie." Bobby looked at me even as he spoke, "I don't know."

I could tell I'd hit home with my icey comment about him leaving and now felt horrible about saying that. "I didn't mean it, Bobby. I just wish you had stuck around longer, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, Legs." he said and gave me a hug as a small apology.


	9. Riding On The Dashboard

**Four Brothers--9**

_**Four Brothers Jack Mercer - Riding On The Dashboard9**_

Jack just raised his arms in confusion and commented, "Why would anybody wanna kill the sweetest woman in the goddamn world?"

"I don't know, Jackie." Bobby looked at me even as he spoke, "I don't know."

I could tell I'd hit home with my icey comment about him leaving and now felt horrible about saying that. "I didn't mean it, Bobby. I just wish you had stuck around longer, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, Legs." he said and gave me a hug as a small apology.

Waking up, I ran my fingers through my hair to make it appear less messy. Dragging my feet to the dresser I pulled out a pair of baggy black pants, a black tank-top and a dark red long sleeve shirt. The tank-top stopped a few inches above my belly button; I was too hungry to waste the extra 5 seconds in my room to pull the red shirt over it, so I pulled it on over my head as I walked towards the stairs, giving Jack a pretty good look at my toned body and belly-button ring. He let out a small coughing sound and blushed. "Hey, watch your eyes Cracker Jack." I warned, but I couldn't stop the smile from gracing my lips.

"What!?" he cried innocently with a smirk of his own. "I didn't do anything."

I just shook my head and continued to smile.

Jack broke the minutes of uncomfortable silence in the kitchen, "Did you mean what you said yesterday?"

"That depends," I said, looking up from my cereal, "what did I say yesterday?"

"That you'd stay here, get a job from Jer." he said, I could hear the hope in his voice.

I sighed, his face already fell. "...Look, Jack...I" I tried to explain that I _had_ to go back to Chicago. My roommate, Amanda, expected me back for rent and -if it still existed- I had a good paying job.

"No... I get it." he growled in defeat and got up from the table to walk out of the room. I grabbed his arm and pressed my face into his elbow and breathed him in.

"This is why I didn't want to come back. I didn't want to hurt anyone, any more..." I clarified, my voice fading away. I couldn't look at him, I didn't want to see him upset, especially because of me.

Now it was his turn to sigh, "...I thought maybe: three years... you'd have stopped hating me...guess I was wrong."

_DO NOT CRY KARI MOLLOY GET A GRIP! _"Jack...!" I exclaimed, my voice barley audable.

But I never got to finish because we both heared Bobby traveling downstairs arguing with Sofi and Angel again.

"All right, I'm here. What?" Jerry asked, annoyed as we all gathered around Bobby's car.

"Last night we found out it wasn't random." Angel told him

"The witness was paid," Bobby continued, "and the whole gang story was just some bullshit."

"Are your serious, man?" Jerry asked, stunned.

"Yeah." I whispered before blowing on my fingers to keep them warm.

Jack turned his head and we all looked to see what he was watching, the store owner was opening shop, where Evie had been shot. "Can I help you?" he asked, uneasy.

"Yeah," Jack spoke up, "if we can just have a moment of your time, sir. Evelyn Mercer was our mother."

He seemed to waken at the sound of her name, "She was a good lady." He said in his thick accent, "I liked her very much. Please, let's come inside."

Crowded around a small black-and-white television set, we all watched the security tape of that night. The two masked gunman ran in and demanded the money. Evie must have made a noise because she hurriedly covered her mouth. "This doesn't add up. He's already got the money." Bobby commented outloud. He had tears in his eyes, as did the rest of us. I ripped my sights from the screen as they held her mercifulessly at gunpoint, unable to watch, knowing what was going to happen. I knew it was over when Jack muffled a sob and turned away to walk aimlessly throuhout the cornerstore.

"Supposedly, a witness told police this was a gang shooting." Bobby mentioned, "You know anything about that?"

The owner pondered for a moment, then, "The police talked for a long time with one man. One man more than the others."

"Would you remember what he looks like if you see him?" I inquired.

"He comes in for Gatorade after the games. Uhh... big guy. Always wears sweats, never a jacket. Even with snow or r-rain. He has a dog and a...a..." he made a sort of sweeping gesture over his own balding head. "You know a..."

"A fro...?" Angel said. "Like a Afro? Like Ben Wallace, the basketball player?"

"Pistons. Yes, yes, Ben Wallace."

"Is he on the courts a lot?" Bobby asked, taking the reins again.

"On the courts...or at the gym." he helped, pointing across the street to the recreastional indoor courts.

Bolting after the four of them I vanished outside with a depressed smile and a soft, "Thank you."

"That wasn't no gang shooting, that was an execution." Bobby growled, rolling his hands into fists. "They set Mom up. They set her up!" we all broke into a run across the street and were assaulted by the cheering going on for the game taking place.

"You guys ready?" Bobby asked.

"What's the plan, Bobby?"

"We're wingin' it Jerry." he told his little brother.

"We always wing it." Jerry disapproved, shaking his head.

Jack just looked around and threw in, "We're gonna get killed."

Angel looked him up and down, then, with a deadly serious face, "What d'you mean '_we_', white boy?"

I laughed bitterly, "If I were sane, I'd walk out of here right now."

"But you're not, so..." Jack just let his voice trail off suggestively. I punched him in the side. Apparently Jack didn't want what was bothering him--me "hating" him--to show while we were all out looking for the scum that killed Evie. _Sure, I can play that game, J._

"You ready?" Bobby asked no one in particular, as he strode out into the middle of the court.

"Here we go." Jack said crossing his arms and looking around expectanly.

It was hard to hear what was going on because the stands were filled with '"boo"'s at Bobby's presance. There was a disturbance amongst Bobby and one of the refs. Then Bobby broke apart from the group with the basketball, "Yeah! I got the rock now! I got this motherfucker now!" One of the players was dumb enough to get in his face about it, so Bobby bashed him in the face with the ball.

Just about everyone on the floor folded in on Bobby, before I saw the shimmer of something shiny in his hands -a gun. "No need to grab me! This'll only take a second." He hollered waving the gun as people scrambled to get the hell away from him. "Now shut up and listen!"

"My name is Bobby Mercer. And some of you probably knew my mother. And some of you probably know she was shot about a week ago across the street. Sixty-two years old, murdered in cold blood!"

By this time Jerry had run up to his brother at the center and tried to talk him down, "Think about it, Bobby, think. Think!"

Bobby wasn't done, not by a long shot, "I'm looking for the witness. Ballplayer. Big guy. Supposedly never wears a coat."

Jack suddenly perked up and nudged me with his arm, pointing his chin toward a spot in the stands, I too saw the young kid making a move to leave.

..."Dog lover. Ring any bells?"

Jack started to head after the kid as his disappeared through a side door, Angel and I had headed back outside to head him off.

..."You tell me where I can find the guy and you can finish your game. All we wanna do is talk to the guy. You can end this real quickly."

Angel banged in the door, as it started to swing open, knocking the runaway into Jack, who grabed the kid in a vice grip. Angel and I stepped into the hallway a moment later.

"Why you runnin'?" Jack asked the kid.

"Get off me, man!" he yelled before looking at Angel. "Man, I don't know nothing."

"Why don't you shut up?" Jack grimaced.

"You got something to tell me youngster?" Angel said, stepping into the kids face. I gave a small giggle as adrenoline surged through my body and fled toward the door to the gym.

Bobby was still on his little rampage, "I'm looking for who killed my mother. You tell me where I can find this guy and you can finish your game."

I watched him and Jerry intently, waiting for one of them to look in my direction so I could grab their attention to the kid. Finally, Jerry saw me and pointed me out to Bobby. I jerked your thumb over my shoulder out in the direction of the hall.

"I appreciate your help very much. You've all been upstanding citizens." Bobby covered, throwing the ball over his shoulder. "Enjoy the rest of your game. Hasta la maleco."

Jerry shook his head, "You crazy as hell."

I wasn't paying much attention to what the guys were saying to the kid, Keenon, was his name. I twiddled my thumbs and counted the worn tiles covering the floor. I focused back in, however, when the tight circle started to break apart, "These are nice grades. Better stay in school." Jack mentioned, looking at a piece of paper which I assumed came out of Keenons' backpack.

Looking at Keenons' chain Jerry laughed, "What is that? Aluminum?"

I let out a little laugh of your own, "Doesn't even spin."

"I just don't get it." I whispered looking past Jack out the frost covered window. "Why would somebody hire a goddamn killer to shoot Evie?"

Bobby chuckled sadistically, "Here's an idea: We'll wait for the shithead to get back and we'll ask him."

"Well you don't have to be such a bitch about it, Bobby. Damn." I scowled.

"Well, y'all do what y'all gotta do. I got gymnastics." Jerry argued, tapping Bobbys' seat to let him out. "Come on, let me out."

We all looked at each other and laughed at how Jer's comment had sounded. "You got your leotard on, Jerry?" Bobby laughed.

"Go to hell." He told the four of us, "Y'all know what I'm talking about. I got a schedule to keep. Girls got gymnastics, I gotta take 'em. Come on, let me out, man."

Bobby finally gave in a slid the seat forward, "You wanna take Cracker Jack with you? He's very flexible."

"Bobby, you're the one who took ballet." Jackie shot back.

"Kari, go with Jer." Bobby told me...he wasn't joking.

"But, Bobby--" I whined.

"Don't make me get out of the car." He warned. Even though I knew it was a hollow threat I obeyed, giving them all a piercing glare and flipped them off.

_Un-fucking-believable..._

_I don't mind if it rains or freezes; Long as I got my plastic Jesus; Riding on the dashboard; Comes in colors pink and pleasant; Glows in the dark..._

It was late, very late by the time the three of them got home. They looked exhausted as they shook themselves off and put their coats on the hanger.

_Wait-shook themselves off? They couldn't have that much snow on them if they just walked from the car to the front door._

_...unless they don't have the car anymore..._

"Bobby, what's on your hands?" I asked, sounding angry, but I didn't know why.

"Nothing." he said pulling his hands away from my view and disappeared into the kitchen. I got a good look at it before he vanished; it was blood. His left hand was pretty badly hurt, the other had blood on the knuckles...some one elses blood.

I turned back into the living room, Jack looked real shook up as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Jack, what happened? Where were you guys? Why is there blood on Bobby's hands?"

He mummbled something that I couldn't understand. "Ja--"

"Nothing; no where; and Bobby's fine. Leave it alone, okay!"

Not satisfied at all, I pressed on. "You're a bad liar, Jack. Now, what the fuck is going on?"

"You don't wanna know, K." he tried to tell me.

By now I truly _was_ angry. I stepped closer to him, trying to be intimidating even though he stood at about 6'2"-a full four inches taller than me- "Fine. What happened to Bobbys' car? Where is it!?"

"I won't tell you! It's better if you don't know!" he was now becoming angry too.

"I'm already in this, anyway!"

"No."

"Damn it, Jack!"

He just glared at me. I wondered if, when I gave people my death glare, it even looked half as threatening as his did.

"Come on, I can take care of myself. What the hell is going on!" by now I was screaming in his face.

He snapped, "No!"

Then, he shoved me.

I hadn't expected it at all. Sure, the guys rough me up, small punches in the arm and shit, but Jack really pushed me. He wasn't as strong as some of the other Mercer brothers, but he was still stronger than I was. Stumbling back, my legs hits the small coffee table and I fell backward. Tears stung my eyes as my shoulder blades came in contact with the wood of the couch that was covered by thin the woolen fabric...wood hurts-a lot.

"Fuck. Kari, I-I didn't mea--" he stuttered, stepping forward with his hand outstreched to help me.

"Stay the hell away from me!" I screamed. I wasn't at the Mercers' house anymore, and I was no longer 21. I was 13 again, blood dripping down my arm, curled up in a pitch dark closet.

"Hey! What's going on in here!?" Bobby yelled walking in through the door from the dining room.

"Kari, please, I'm sorry. I don't know what..." Jack had fearful tears in his eyes and his hands were shaking as he held them out to help me up. I flinched, even this passive gesture toward me sent petrified adreniline through my veins.

Unable to think of anything to do, I did the only thing that came to mind; I ran.

I jumped up and slammed the front door behind me, leaving my coat and sprinted through the streets, through the snow, to where ever my feet took me. About 5 blocks from the house I slid on some black ice; throwing my hand out to catch myself I gripped a piece of wire on a fence that stuck out at an obscure angle. It cut into the palm of my hand, and warm blood flowed as I cradled it to my chest. It didn't hurt too badly right now, but that was because my body was on the defense and it responded by numbing itself. I finally stopped after three more blocks, at the park I used to hang at, and collapsed into a swing.

My lungs hurt from running, sobbing, and lack of oxygen. I tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't. _I'm having a panic attack._ I realized. Tears started to pour down my face harder as this thought came. Then I went stiff as a large hand touched my shoulder.

"Shhh... Legs. It's just me. It's okay." Bobby cooed. What ever was constricting my chest finally let go and I could breath. I continued to sob into Bobbys' shirt as he held me to him protectively. "I couldn't get a word out of him, Kari. He just kept saying he was sorry. What happened?" he asked wrapping his coat around my shoulders.

I managed to compose myself enough so my tears didn't disfigure my speech.

"Son of a..." Bobby squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists after I told him. "And that cut on, your hand? If that's because of him? I swear to God if it is...!"

"N-no, I f-f-fell on some ice, cut m-my hand on a fence." I sniffed.

Bobby huffed and after a few minutes of silence began to tell me about where they had been::

About Damians' attack dogs, then dropping Damian from the window and threatening to leave him there with his knee hanging out. Finding the fuckers that shot his mom, chasing them in his car and beating the shit out of them before blowing them away.

"Come on, your keys were in your jacket. I've got your car. Let's head home, okay? The fairy won't stop cryin'; I swear, he's worse than you." He jested, trying to coax a smile from me.

"I doubt that." I whimpered. Shakily getting to my feet. "Could I walk home? I just...wanna think a bit."

He looked at me for a few seconds and nodded, "You want me to wait up for you, keep him away?" I just shook my head 'no'. He kissed my forehead and hugged me again before walking to my car and driving off.

I opened the door as silently as I could and crept through the house and into the kitchen. I turned the faucet on and pulled out a bit of gauze from the first-aid kit above the fridge. Walking back to the faucet I ran my wounded hand under the luke-warm water. Using my okay hand I splashed water on my face and wiped it off in the arm of my shirt. I flopped down into a chair at the table and tried to wrap up my cut one-handed.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see some one enter the room and walk over to me. He reached out to touch my shoulder but I flinched away. Jack collapsed into the seat next to me; I dared to glance at him and could see his eyes were a bit bloodshot and tears still stained his face.

He reached out to touch my face, "Kari, I'm so..."

I wanted to stay still, to feel his soft touch; but my body was still defensive and I jerked away from him, staring blankly at my bloody hand.

"...sorry." he finished, dropping his fist to the table.

He stalked out of the room and I heard him fall into the couch.

After a few futile attempts to cover my flesh wound on my own, I got up and trekked into the living room as well. The table and its contents were still strewn across the floor. I sat on the couch next to Jack and held out my hand and the gauze wordlessly. He looked at me, and I some-how managed to hold his gaze. His eyes were soft now and so apologetic and so broken. He lifted his trembling hands and carefully wrapped my hand, hesitating only when I let out a small wince as he pulled it tighter to tie it. When he finished he held my hand, looking at the sight.

I lifted it from his touch and could see his eyes clench shut as more tears came, thinking I didn't want him touching me or to be anywhere near him if I didn't have to be.

But I placed my hand against his cheek and turned his face toward me leaning my forehead against his. He opened his eyes, not trying to hide his surprise. "**I'm** sorry." I told him. "Bobby told me you were just trying to protect me. I shouldn't have tried to make you angry."

"No." He whispered horsely, "There's no reason for me to have done that. I can't believe I did that. No matter how angry I was, Kari, I shouldn't have done that."

I could sense he wasn't going to stop so I gently slid my thumb over his lips. "I'm not done yet." I told him with a small childish laugh. "And I'm sorry about not calling since I left. I'm sorry for leaving. And pushing you away. I don't hate you Jack... I don't hate you at all. I never have--I can't." I smiled and added as a quick after-thought, "And, yeah... I've tried, too."

I removed my thumb from his lips to let him have a say. Except he didn't say anything, he just looked at me and I lost myself in those green eyes. I'd never been this close to Jack, I liked it, he made me block out everything bad that was going on outside -and inside- of my life, if just for the moment.

Then, his lips crashed into mine, longingly.

He pulled away, leaving my lips colder and alone, "I shouldn't have done that." he whispered, cheeks turning pink. I'd been so caught off guard I hadn't kissed him back.

I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling his lips back to mine, he responded by wrapping his arms around my small waist.

Jacks' kisses weren't like anyone elses. They were gentle and lazy, as if he had all the time in the world to just sit there and kiss me.

_God, why did I leave? Why did I wait so long to do this with Jack, was I really that stupid?_

The two of us broke apart, and I bit my lip longingly to continue kissing him. He smiled softly at me and brushed some hair behind my ear, I shivered at his touch, in a very good way.

**Told you, you liked him.**

_I don't care what you have to say. I'm happy to admit that you were right. Now, go find some matches and play with them!_

"Well, I guess the two of you are okay, then?" Sofi's voiced echoed from the base of the stairs.

I hunched my shoulders like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Sofi!" I hissed.

She smiled, "Relax. I'm not going to tell. Do you really think I'm that mean? I'm hurt." she said pouting and putting her hand over her heart. _Such a Bobby thing._ She must have had the same though, because she pulled her hands away from her chest as if on fire and looked at them in disgust with a shake of her head.

I looked back to Jack, "I think maybe we shouldn't jump to telling Bobby, or he'll go ballistic. He's still really pissed at you, for what you did earlier."

He laughed, "You're definetally right, I like waking up **alive** in the morning. We're okay now, right.?"

"No, Jack." I said rolling my eyes. "I kissed you because I'm furious at you. Yes, we're better that okay."

"You've done weirder things." He teased and pecked me on the lips, "You going to bed now?"

"I'm kinda hungry, I'll see you in the morning."

He whispered, "I'm really sorry, Kari." Before kissing me on the cheek and heading upstairs. As soon as I heard his door close Sofi came bursting into the living room with a bag of Oreos. "Spill, chica." she demanded with a friendly smile. I grabbed the bag and sighed.


	10. Secrets

**DISCLAIMER:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((Recap))**

I looked back to Jack, "I think maybe we shouldn't jump to telling Bobby, or he'll go ballistic. He's still really pissed at you, for what you did earlier."

He laughed, "You're definetally right, I like waking up **alive** in the morning. We're okay now, right.?"

"No, Jack." I said rolling my eyes. "I kissed you because I'm furious at you. Yes, we're better that okay."

"You've done weirder things." He teased and pecked me on the lips, "You going to bed now?"

"I'm kinda hungry, I'll see you in the morning."

Jack was still asleep in his room when I got up. I stretched, grimacing as pain shot between my shoulders. Shuffling to the bathroom I took a shower, then wiped the steam off the mirror at an attempt to see why my back hurt so much. I couldn't; so I pulled on a pair of light blue jeans and a bright orange sports bra. Gripping a black hoodie between my hands I plummeted downstairs, seeing that Bobby was a little tied up getting his wounds tended to by Sofi ("Ahh!" "You're such a pussy, Bobby." "Give me a break will you?").

So I hoped into the kitchen, "Angel why the hell does my back kill?" I demanded.

"O, now, come on Kari. Nobody needs to see that." Angel groaned shaking his head. He was refering to my lack of clothing.

"Fuck you. And I've got nothing to boast about, shut up. But seriously," I said, turning so my back was to him, "what, is it bruised or somethin'?"

He whistled and touched between my shoulder blades, "Damn! Looked like somebody hit you baseball style with a lead pipe, K." Apparently he didn't know what happened last night when he and the others had arrived home.

"Fan-freakin-tastic." I mummbled, "O...uhhh... Green and the rookie are heading this way."I warned looking out the window. I pulled on my hoodie and zipped it about half way. By this time I could hear Jack moving upstairs, _Lazy ass_. "Hey, y'all! Police in the house!"

Both Angel and I could hear the two rivals in the other room frantically putting away the first-aid kit. "Get me something to cover my arm. Hurry up!" Bobby was whispering hoarsely.

Green and Fowler stepped through the back doorway, "Angel, Kari. Mind if we come in?" Green asked, voice coated in charlatan sweetness.

"You're already in." Angel pointed out cruelly, he lead them into the dining room. "Cops are always welcome at the Mercers'."

"It makes us feel safe and cozy." I added, although with Fowlers vulture-like characteristics and disparaging eyes, safe and cozy were the last feelings I was getting. Zipping my hoodie to its full extent, I wished I had eight sweaters on between myself and the rest of the world. "Just the way we like it."

The two police officers caught sight of Bobby, as did Angel and I. I slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle my burst of laughter. Bobby stood there in one of Evie's old robes, light purple fuzzy trim, with a satin-like flower print on the rest.

"Ain't you sexy." Green comment, composing himself better than I was able to. I crossed the room with Angel, who sat on the arm of the couch, I stood in the doorway with Sofi.

Sophie clung to my arm, she was obviously worried Angel was going to be arrested. so I patted her arm reassuringly. "Thank you." Bobby said smugly, adjusting the knot of the belt. "Jackie wanted this little number for himself, but I fought him for it." Bobby told the men. _Even when he's not here. Really nice, Bobby._

Sofi looked at me, she was the only one in the house that knew about me and Jack. She had a 'are-you-just-gonna-let-him-say-that?' look on her face. I shrugged, what wwas I going to say, while Green was here, he wouldn't appreciate a family fued over the sex life/orientation of the household.

"What happened to the hand?" Fowler asked, not beating around the bush.

"Did you happen to forget our little conversation we had at your brother's house about not interfering with our investigation?" Green questioned Bobby.

Bobby looked surprised at the wound, as if he hadn't known it was there. "Oh, no, no. This is Turkey Cup, man. Hockey. An old Mercer family tradition."

"Yeah," I cut in, "see: I've got one to match." I held up my hand that was wrapped in the bloody gauze wrapping. "They're too vicious, got a bruise on my back too, from hitting the sideboards."

"You remeber Turkey Cup, don't you, Green? You played hockey. Guys can be pretty rough out on that ice." Bobby pronounced, regaining the attention. By now, Jack had joined me and Sofi at the entrance, he touched the small of my back discreetly, I couldn't help but smile.

Fowler was obviously getting a little hot under the collar and needed the spotlight back on him, "Where's your car, Bobby? It's not outside."

It was safe to bet that at that moment the same thought went through everyone's head: _O fucking shit... forgot about that..._. And for once Sofi saved our asses, I was pretty sure Bobby could have hugged her, "We left it a Jeremiah's."

The mention of the missing Mercer brother snapped all of us back to reality, "Yeah." Angel agreed, "Jerry drove us home. You know, Volvos are one of the safest cars out there. Volvos are incredible, man, when it's a blizzard outside. So we--"

"Fascinating." Fowler interrupted, not sounding fascinated at all. "Hey, Gretzky, you know what this is?" he requested. Between his fingers he held a small bag, marked: **EVIDENCE**, with, what I guessed was, a brown hair.

"A hair from you wife's tit?" Bobby said sitting on the coach with a smug grin on his face.

"Try from your thick skull. Forensics took it off a pair of contract killers we found dead this morning."

_No, they are not._ I let out a small giggle at the pathetic attempt they were pulling to get Bobby to talk. Fowler shot a death glare in my direction, I just continued to snicker. Jack obviously didn't trust Fowler, just as much as I; he tugged the hem of my hoodie nervously, the only thing he could do to stop himself from wrapping his arms around me protectively.

"That's an old one, boys. Come on, Green" Bobby said, faining hurt. Green was even laughing a bit -he'd obviously warned Fowler that Bobby wasn't that stupid. "You know when I'll know you got my hair off a dead body, right? When I hear the jailhouse doors close behind me, girls."

Green managed to recompose himself into a more serious cop-like demeanor, "Okay, then you tell me what they told you. You think that these thugs were hired to kill Evelyn, is that it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Green." Bobby said defiantly. I was finally understanding why Jack hadn't wanted to tell me about what had happened. It was so that I wouldn't have to lie to the police if they asked me, so that I wouldn't get in any more trouble because of them.

"Wait, Green, how do you go from petty thug to contract killer?" Angel invited, cockily. "And if they were professional shooters, like you say, they'd have never told us who they was working with anyway." A smile spread of his face, "even if they got one _hell_ of an ass-whupping."

Fowler looked as if he could just shoot all of us right then, "You think you're pretty cute, don't you?" He asks Angel, advancing. "He does. Everbody's a smart guy until I bust them in the mouth." Angel was on his feet now, in the detectives face.

"You gonna bust me in my mouth?" Angel said defiantly, sticking out his chin.

"Hey, cut it out!" I shouted. Everyone in the room converged on the two, trying not to have a fight start.

"Hey. Stop." Green bellowed standing between the two. "Look," he turned his attention to Bobby, "Bobby, if you got something, you give it to me. And if it's something vital, we'll run with it. But don't try and take on Detroit by your damn self."

"If he were, does it look like he's alone?" I asked, Green looked at me warningly, but he didn't scare me, Green's a good man.

"You keep knocking on the devil's door long enough, and sooner or later, somebody gonna answer you." Green finished his little speech as he and his ugly shadow disappeared into the Detroit morning.

Once they had left I'd run upstairs to change into a 'Guns 'N' Roses' T-shirt under my hoodie.

Bobby and Angel were sitting on the couch discussing one of the shooters IDs'. Bobby interrupted conversation by speaking to me, "Hey, you alright Legs? You seemed jumpy earlier, have you talk to Jackie yet?"

I laughed, Bobby was being too nice, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just not a fan of that 'Fowler' guy. And yes, I have, we're cool."

Bobby just looked at me skeptically, but let it go. I skipped into the kitchen and sat next to Jack at the table. "You don't think they're on to us, do you?"

"Us, like US?" Waving a hand between the two of us, "...Or like," he gestured to the rest of the house, " US?" He smiled and kissed me on the lips, "Morning, by the way."

"'Morning. I mean the cops, you don't think they really know, do you?" I was worried for the guys' safety.

"Nah, and Bobby's right. If they had anything they'd woulda made a move by now." he reasured me while shoveling a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

I sighed and sat back. Jack saw that I wasn't convinced and pulled me onto his lap. I snuggled into his embrace and hid my face in his neck. He laughed, "That tickles." I laughed too, looking up at him. Jack pressed his lips to mine, his tongue easily slipping between my lips, learning every portion he could get at. I moaned softly fighting back against him, teasing him. Bobby's voice broke through the house, "Come on, Fairy, let's go!" Jack groaned and rolled his eyes as he slid me off his lap and dumped the last of his cereal in to the sink.

When the two of us arrived in the doorway to the hall, Angel and Sofi were arguing, again. And Bobby wasn't helping, "She's so _la vida loca_." he grinned at me and Jack.

"Man, don't do that right now." Angel said, obviously tired of his brothers anticts.

"Shut up, Bobby." Sofi hissed. "Don't start with that crap!"

_Yep, one big HAPPY family. HA!_

"You know what? I want a girlfriend like you." Bobby growled sarcastically, "Can we go now?"

"Angel." Sofi pleaded, "You said this time was gonna be different."

"Ay, chica, you're breakin' mi corazón." Bobby whimpered, holding his chest, Jack and I were laughing at the sight, Bobby was always amusing. Turning to Angel, "She's getting real comfortable here, huh?" Sofi disappeared into the kitchen leaving the four of us there. "What are you doing? I though you was a macho man. A tough guy. You know, it's a real shame that little Jackie's the only one down to ride."

"Hey! I'm fucking going too!" I ordered when I wasn't added.

"No, you ain't Legs. Hang out here, hm." Bobby bossed.

"PLEASE, don't leave me here with _them_." I pleaded. Bobby laughed, and Angel punched me in the arm.

"Let's go, Jackie." Bobby called from the front door. Jack squeezed my hand quickly and smirked at Angel as he stepped past him. "Say goodbye to your big sister, Jackie. Let's go!"

"You gonna leave me too? I just need 15 minutes, man." Angel argued.

As Jack backed out of the front door he teased his big brother, singing: "**She's addicted; to what Angel's dick did.**"

I laughed shaking my head and sprinted upstairs. I closed my door and blasted the radio to drown out Angel and Sofi. _Why couldn't they just be PG for once!?_

_...Bobby better keep Jack outta trouble._ You prayed.

I didn't hear the doorbell ring, so Angel had to get it. However, he called me down a minute later, "You always understood shit better than me." he told me.

There was an much older man in the house, with a white-gray moustache, and a stupid looking hat that he insisted on playing with nerviously between his hands. "Uh, yes. I have a question or two about your mother's insurance policy. It's imperative that I speak with Jeremiah immediately. The check is being processed, but nonetheless, some red flags have been raised."

"Wait. What do you mean, 'red flags'?" I asked worriedly, _Check... money... Jerry? What's going on?_

"Well, it's an unusually high payout for simple life-insurance policy. For the last two years, the premium was paid via check from your brother's bank account. With your brother's criminal record and his business near bankruptcy, well, it's our responsibility to investigate." the agent continued.

"Bankruptcy?" Angel interjected.

"Wait, so Jeremiah's broke?" I gasped. Sofi burst into the room a moment later, waving a roll of condoms in the air, but I barely noticed. _Broke? NO money. Shit, why didn't he say...? And life insurance... perfect timing----Jerry wouldn't..._ As my scrambled thoughts cleared, I realized that Angel and Sofi had disappeared from the room, I could hear Sophie yelling as Angel locked her out on the porch.

"So, how much is our brother getting?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"A little more that $400,000." The old man told me.

"That's crazy." Angel said, running his hand over his shaven head.

Angel and I managed to get away from Sofi in the end. I let Angel drive my car, my mind was still reeling. But Angel broke through my thoughts, "You know, Sofi told me about you and Cracker-Jack."

"Shit. And I was just starting to like her, too. Now I'm gonna have to kill her." I grumbled sarcastically. "Don't say anything to Bobby, he's gonna go ballistic, he wanted me to get outta Detroit."

"So you're staying?" He sounded pleased. "Well I won't say anything... but if Sofi knows, and Bobby starts raggin' on her again..." Angel grumbled, more to himself than anything, letting his voice drift off.

I raised and eyebrow, "I don't know yet... maybe... and are you blackmailing me, Angel Mercer?"

"Huh? Nah, Sofi just likes to talk." he laughed.

I, and the second youngest Mercer brother, strolled through an underconstruction building toward and old friend. "Big Chief." Angel greeted.

'Big Chief' looked up at his visitors, "Angel Mercer. And do my eyes decieve me? Kari Molloy, is that you?" I just smiled.

After a while of not paying attention to what the two of them were talking about, I reentered the conversation.

"I ain't worked for Jerry, for a long time. Not since he started up those luxury condos. High-dollar stuff like that brings in all the gangsters."

"Wait. So you're saying that Jer' got mixed in with some gangsters?" I exhaled.

"What's going on?" Angel asked, just as stunned.

"There's this do-gooder. He's on city council. His name's Douglas. He's the guy who shut down Jerry's warehouse project. He'll know who Jerry got mixed up with."

_O shit Jerry. What have you done?_

"I think this should be something **we** look into before we tell Bobby." Angel said, he'd been thinking hard about this. I nodded in agreement.

The two of us arrived late to find Bobby and Jack at the dinning room table, guns spread out on its entirety.

"Looks like Santa came early." I grinned. Hoping onto the table I leaned over Jacks shoulder to look at the camera in his hand, I could see him smile as I rested my chin on his shoulder. I pointed confusedly at the digital screen, "Hey, isn't that..."


	11. I'll Keep You From The Bad

**DISCLAIMER:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

"There's this do-gooder. He's on city council. His name's Douglas. He's the guy who shut down Jerry's warehouse project. He'll know who Jerry got mixed up with."

_O shit Jerry. What have you done?_

"I think this should be something **we** look into before we tell Bobby." Angel said, he'd been thinking hard about this. I nodded in agreement.

The two of us arrived late to find Bobby and Jack at the dinning room table, guns spread out on its entirety.

"Looks like Santa came early." I grinned. Hoping onto the table I leaned over Jacks shoulder to look at the camera in his hand, I could see him smile as I rested my chin on his shoulder. I pointed confusedly at the digital screen, "Hey, isn't that..."

"...that guy!?" I gasped, mouth open. Jerry, standing on the far side away from me, rolled his eyes with a snort of laughter.

"Really?" Bobby growled. "I had no idea it was a guy!" He smiled insanely at me, not even glancing at the picture. I reached around Jack and slapped his brother in the back of the head, sticking out my tongue and narrowing my eyes. "So where the hell have you two been? We've been tryin' to call you all day." Bobby asked while rubbing his arm and looking at me like a kicked puppy.

I looked to Angel who covered for the both of us, "Following up new leads." He cast a meaningful look at Jerry, who looked away.

While the four of us had been bickering, Jack was still puzzled about the old man in the picture that I had recognized. Suddenly it clicked and he thrust the camera into Bobby's hands, "That's that lawyer guy. That shithead said--" he placed his fingers to his lips in frantic thought, "he said he only met her once, Bobby."

We all leaned over and gawked at the photo of the lawyer and Evie, recognition washing over all of our faces. "Let's go." Bobby said turning, everyone of us thinking the exact same thing. "Jerry, you coming with us? Don't you wanna find out who hired them?" Bobby teased.

"Yeah, don't you wanna find out who killed Evie?" I asked in a darker tone.

"Of course I do, K." He said trudging along behind me.

"Then let's go! Stop bullshitting man. Come on." Bobby hollered.

"Somebody gotta look after y'all clowns." Jerry mumbled.

"Oh, so now you callin' us clowns?" Angel argued casting a side long glance in his brothers direction.

"Well, I call it like I see it." Jerry joked. I let a small, sad, smile sweep across my face. Jack saw it and furrowed his brow, asking the unspoken question: **'What's wrong?'** I just shook my head and pushed him quickly out the door after Bobby.

**((FF))**

"Ladies first." Bobby grinned politely. I smiled back at him painfully and punched through the small glass window without breaking eye contact. He laughed while reaching through the now empty window-pane and jiggled the handle.

Once Bobby stepped inside, the other four of us close on his heels, a marshmellow of white fur was around his feet, sniffing the the mud-caked intruders. "An attack dog. Come here, poochie." Bobby cooed and scooped up the fluff-ball. "You don't wanna bite me, do ya?" I laughed at his antics and looked around the magnificent house. "You gonna bite me, baby?"

My eyes fell upon a folded laptop on the mans' desk. I slunk across the dark room and slid into the chair. Thankfully, when I opened the computer there was no password needed; Jack stood next to me, "What'd you find?"

I sorted through a couple of folders, "I dunno, maybe nothing..." then I found a calendar, "or maybe something. Hey, Bobby! Check this out. I found Bradford's calendar."

The Mercer brothers gathered around me to see what information I'd discovered. Bobby still had he puppy in his arms, 'What cha got, Legs?"

Jack pointed at the screen over my shoulder then looked back up at his older brother, "You don't think 'E.M.' stands for Evelyn Mercer...do you?" he had a smart-ass smirk on his face that made me smile and shake my head.

Bobby was absentmindedly petting the small animal, glaring at the glowing computer screen in the dak room, "You're getting pretty good at this, you two." Jack and I grinned proudly, as I turned back to see what other information the calendar had to offer.

"Novemeber 21." Jerry whispered.

"He met up with her the night she died." Angel grumbled in stunned and confused amazement.

"Why would anybody meet up with their lawyer at 8:00 at night?" I whispered, more to myself than anything, it was VERY puzzling to say the least.

"ANGEL!" a distant voice ran through the air.

"O. My. God." I groaned, laying my head in my hands. Jacks jaw dropped in disgust and he glared at his brother.

"Nice. Your girlfriend's here." Bobby spat, setting the hairy puppy on the floor.

Angel shook his head in disbelief, "She's crazy, man."

"Well, go shut her up then!" Jack ordered, as if it were the most obvious thing to do.

The five of us stalked outside to deal with Sofi. I don't have anything against her, deep down she was just worried about Angel, and I couldn't blame her. I flopped down on the front step and watched the show unfold before my eyes.

Bradford decided to come home just then, _Perfect._ I thought sarcastically. I watched as Bobby got the old man on the ground and hit him. _Well, shit Bobby. If we're not goin' down for breakin' and entering, we might as well take assault, too._ I managed to get a small portion of the conversation, apparently Mr. Bradford and Evie had been dating -_Yeah, Evie!_-and they had met that night on a date.

**((FF))((JACK'S POV))**

I sat up in a cold sweat. _What the hell...?_ I'd just had the most disturbing dream--no--nightmare. But I couldn't clearly remember it, just bits-and-pieces; bits-and-pieces that I wanted to forget.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and held my face in my hands. Squeezing my eyes shut I tried to sort out my thoughts. There was fighting and yelling, although I couldn't remember between who. And then there were resounding loud cracks... _Gunfire...? I don't know..._ I throught desperately. There was pain, in my chest, and blood, I gagged at the image of just dark red. I was crying and so were the others who were there with you, _Was that Bobby?_

When I opened my eyes again I found myself outside of Kari's bedroom door. I sighed and pushed open the door softly, she apparently hadn't been asleep, her head popped of the pillow at the first note of a disturbance. "Hey." she whispered through the darkness.

I smiled as my heart did that stupid flutter, even when I tried to make it stop. "Hey, what are you doing up?" I asked sitting beside her.

She shrugged, "Just couldn't sleep. What about you?" Her hair was fanned about her head on the pillow and her eyes reflected a small bit of light from the street lamps outside her window. _She's beautiful._

I mimicked her and shrugged too, looking away. "You're a terrible liar, Jack Mercer." she giggled and pulled me down toward her. Her lips just tickled mine and I could feel her breath on my lips, "What's wrong?" she asked, I was very aware of her fingers at the baase of my neck. _Damn it! She knows she's driving me crazy!_ I realized how easily she excited me, and eventually I was going to have difficulty hiding that fact from her.

I wanted to kiss her so badly that my lips quivered. I bit my bottom lip in yearning and brought my eyes back to hers. "Bad dream, just couldn't go back to sleep."

She got what she wanted and inched away from me, "What about?"

_Tease. But she's always been disant like that, Jack. That's why you lo... care about her._ I reminded myself. "I can't really remember, except that it woke me up, and I didn't like it." I situated my arm around her waist, she smiled and sighed while placing a soft hand on my chest and holding onto my light T-shirt, as if I'd slip out of her grasp if she didn't. I inhaled gently, the new coconut shampoo she used filled my senses. Feeling calmer now my eyes became too heavey and I drifted off to sleep.

Only to have the nightmare return as if it had been waiting for me to feel safe again. "Jack! Jack, please wake up!" _Kari...? What's wrong?_ My eyes snapped open, Kari had her hands on my shoulders and was extremely pale, looking terrified. She gave a thankfull sigh and collapsed against my chest, sobbing into my shirt and holding me tightly.

I rubbed her back and curled my fingers in her silky hair. "Hey, shh. It's okay, Kari. I'm all right, shh." I cooed soothingly. "What happened?"

She sniffed and lifted her head out of my torso, I felt colder with out her against me and I mentally frowned. "I-I don't know. I fell asleep after y-you did-d and t-t-then I woke up 'cause you were s-s-shaking." I wiped away the tears that streaked down her face and kissed her forehead. She seemed to calm down a little, "You wouldn't wake up, and- it just scared me Jack."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. And I wish I knew what this dream was; it's new." She brushed a small bundle of hair away from my eyes, her touch sent small jolts of electricity through my veins. I wrapped my hand around hers and she blushed, I took the opportunity to caress her lips with my own longingly. She responded and urged her body closer to mine, closing all gaps between the two of us. I lost track of time kissing her, and we were both exhausted, I tugged her gently so that her torso was laying against my chest. She settle against me no doubt listening to my heart beat steadily, "I'll keep you from the bad, Jackie." she yawned.

I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes, knowing the bloody vision wouldn't return this time. "I know you will, K."


	12. Swollen Lips & Hickeys

**DISCLAIMER:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

**((JACK'S POV))**

I swung your legs over the edge of the bed, and held my face in my hands. Squeezing my eyes shut I tried to sort out my thoughts. There was fighting and yelling, although I couldn't remember between who. And then there were resounding loud cracks... _Gunfire...? I don't know..._ I throught desperately. There was pain, in my chest, and blood, I gagged at the image of just dark red. I was crying and so were the others who were with you, _Was that Bobby?_

**((...((...FF...))...))**

"You wouldn't wake up, and- it just scared me Jack."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. And I wish I knew what this dream was; it's new." She brushed a small bundle of hair away from my eyes, her touch sent small jolts of electricity through my veins. I wrapped my hand around hers and she blushed, I took the opportunity to caress her lips with my own longingly. She responded and urged her body closer into mine, closing all gaps between the two of us. I lost track of time kissing her, and we were both exhausted, I tugged her gently so that her torso was laying against my chest, she settle against me, no doubt listening to my heart beat steadily, "I'll keep you from the bad, Jackie." she yawned.

I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes, knowing the bloody vision wouldn't return this time. "I know you will, K."

**((KARI'S POV))((MORNING))**

I rubbed my eyes a stretched, conscious of Jacks' sleeping presence. He was curled up, _I hope he didn't have that dream again. I wish he'd tell me what's bothering him._ I placed a hand delecatly on his shoulder for balance and kissed him softly before slipping out of bed. "Aw, sh--" I slammed my toe into the dresser, reaching for a change of clothes, _**GOD DAMNIT!**_ Thankfully I didn't wake Jack up with my klutzy behaviour. I grabbed a handful of clothes, not caring what they were and shuffled across the room. I hopped one legged down the hallway to the shower, all the while: nursing my poor toe.

**((SHORT FF))**

I peeked out of the door, glancing up and down the hallway. _Why am I so inept?_ I silently argued with God. I had managed to grab everything... except a shirt when I grabbed my clothes.

_**MENTAL NOTE #307:**__Always_ _make sure to carry __all__ segments of attire._

I glided down the hall silently and disappeared into my room. I sighed, and relaxed...

...until I heard the amused laughter from behind me. I spun, Jack was sitting up messing up his already disheveled hair and had his trademark smirk on, "Well, _good_ morning! I didn't know you had your belly-button pierced."

"Oh, shut up, you perv! I left my shirt in here. Stop laughing, there's nothing funny going on!" I yelled at him as he continued to laugh.

"Yes, there is. Your face is as red as your bra!" he could barely breath he kept laughing, "Kari Molloy isn't embarrassed, is she?"

"No." I said defiantly, then saw myself in the mirror, my face _was_ about 800 shades of red. "She's mortified." I rubbed my left fore-arm in disgust.

I dashed across the room and yanked open the draw to find a shirt. Jack grasped my arm, covering the loathsome scar, and pulled me toward him gently, "Why? You're gorgeous."

"You're just saying that because I'm half naked." I pointed out cruelly, while half trying to fight out of his grasp, half trying to wriggle my arms around him and kiss him for the compliment.

"You're clever, too." He laughed and then smiled down at me, "But, no that's not why I'm saying it, I mean it, K." he let go of me, allowing for the opportunity to escape him.

_Jerk, he knows I don't want to move._ I smirked and gave him my best 'come-hither' look as I lifted my gaze to his. Jacks' lips crashed fervently down upon mine, his arms snaking around my bare waist sending chills down my spine. I felt myself falling and my back was against the bed. Jack parted his lips from mine, only to trail them from my jaw line to my collarbone. I moaned as Jack left red-hot kisses on my skin and tangled his fingers in my water-drenched hair. Jacks' fingers felt rough and coarse from endless hours plucking at the guitar, I liked the feeling against the smooth skin of my stomach. I bit my lips, which were companionless without Jacks'. He seemed to read my thoughts and his lips covered mine once again. I was very aware of how much I loved the sensation of his tongue-ring against my own tongue.

We stopped kissing suddenly, however, when we both realized people where now up. "Shit." Jack groaned, his lips still grazing mine.

"What?" I whispered, disappointed.

"I think I might have left my bedroom door open...and I'm not in there." He was sitting up, one leg on either side of me, leaving me pinned and unable to get up.

"Nice job, Jackie." I teased. I pushed him a little, he looked at me with a 'Yeah. What?' face and I raised my eyebrows pointedly. He looked down and hopped off of me with a sheepish grin.

I pulled out a red shirt with 3/4 sleeves that were black. I walked to the mirror to put in my earring when I saw my appearance.

My wet hair was well mussed, and my lips were pinker and swollen, along with the nice red-pink mark that was becoming clearer and clearer by the second on my neck. I touched the hickey as if to make sure it was really there. I blushed, "Now I have to find a turtle neck; thank you very much."

"What? I think it looks _sexy_. You look really good, with your lips swollen from kissing _me_." Jack taunted, his own swollen lips in a smile.

"Out." I commanded, although I couldn't keep the grin off my face. He obeyed cautiously and disappeared out into the Mercer house. I pulled on a turtle neck in substitution of the 3/4 sleeve. I brushed out my hair and flitted it into a braid, I pulled at the neck of my shirt and studied the signature Jack had left on my skin.

I beamed.


	13. Goodbye

**DISCLAIMER:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

"I think I might have left my bedroom door open...and I'm not in there." He was sitting up, one leg on either side of me, leaving me pinned and unable to get up.

"Nice job, Jackie." I teased. I pushed him a little, he looked at me with a 'Yeah. What?' face and I raised my eyebrows pointedly. He looked down and hopped off of me with a sheepish grin.

I pulled out a red shirt with 3/4 sleeves that were black. I walked to the mirror to put in my earring when I saw my appearance.

My wet hair was well mussed, and my lips were pinker and swollen, along with the nice red-pink mark that was becoming clearer and clearer by the second on my neck. I touched the hickey as if to make sure it was really there. I blushed, "Now I have to find a turtle neck; thank you very much."

"What? I think it looks _sexy_. You look really good, with your lips swollen from kissing _me_." Jack taunted, his own swollen lips in a smile.

"Out." I commanded, although I couldn't keep the grin off my face. He obeyed cautiously and disappeared out into the Mercer house. I pulled on a turtle neck in substitution of the 3/4 sleeve. I brushed out my hair and flitted it into a braid, I pulled at the neck of my shirt and studied the signature Jack had left on my skin.

I beamed.

I wandered downstairs, Sofi was down there cooking scrammble eggs. "Hey, Sof. can I steal some of that." I asked after pouring myself a glass of orange juice.

"Sure." she smiled. Sofi wasn't that bad, annoying-yes... but I could tell she honestly cared about Angel. And anyone who really loved someone in my 'family' was on my good side. "By the way, I got Jacks' door for you." she smirked.

"I'd say thank you... but you told Angel, you loud mouth." I growled with fake anger, not really bothered, word was bound to get out evenually. I smiled as I slapped my plate onto the counter next to the stove; then traveled toward the fridge to dig through the beer and locate the allusive ketchup.

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I mirrored her action. I snatched my plate back, with the eggs on it and sat at the table. I didn't feel like talking much at the moment, having a _cooked_ breakfast, instead of something quick, like cereal, reminded me of when Evie made breakfast. I chewed slowly and my throat burned, and my eyes watered. "Shit, I didn't make them nasty, did I?" Sofi asked frantically, as I rested my head on my palms.

I shook my head, and held my hand in front of my mouth, "No, I just--" I sighed "... Evie." I said, barely above a whisper. My throat was closing slowly and I forced myself to swallow the eggs, which- even with the ketchup and salt- had a very bland taste. My stomach churned, and I took a deep breath, leaning my head back trying not to get sick.

Sofi put her manacured hand on my shoulder awkwardly, "I know, I miss her too. She was always nice to me; even though I wasn't exacly all that nice to her." she smiled. She had a sort of distant look on her face, obviously thinking of her own memories of Ms. Mercer.

Upstairs I could hear Bobby yelling at somebody. I rolled my eyes and scrubbed the last bit of egg off into the trash bin. I'd managed to eat about half of what had been put on my plate. Angel came strolling downstairs a few minutes later, "Come on, let's go." he told me.

"Why, what's up?" I asked, ringing my hands through a face cloth to take off the soapy water.

"We're gonna watch Jerry for a bit, okay?" but I knew it wasn't really a question. I was going. "Bobby and Jack are gonna pay Douglas a visit, too."

I nodded and took the stairs two at a time and darted into my room. I grabbed my MP3 player. Stepping out of my room I looked around quickly for Jack, but his door was closed. _Be careful, Jackie._ I thought with one quick glance back at his door and took the stairs just as quickly back down. "Ready." I declared as I slipped my headphones on.

The two of us were sitting outside of a bank that Jerry had disappeared inside of about 15 minutes ago, "Goddamn, Jerry." Angel growled. The two of us drove off to find more information. Eventually Angel figured out that Evander, an old friend of Jerry's, was working for a guy named Victor -apparently Jerry owed him some money, well, a lot of money. I sighed in sad frustration as Angel and I walked into the bowling center where "Evan" was with his family. Jerry was due here any minute... Bobby and Jack, too. I pressed PLAY on my MP3, and music burst to life, I slumped into a chair and Angel bought me a beer.

_My life reads like the classifieds_

_Pages of what's for sale_

_What's on the auction line_

_Attention matters it's like 45_

_He's got a decend voice_

_He's got that crooked smile_

_Hold on,_

_You haven't heard the best yet:_

_He writes good story lines_

_He's got those honest eyes_

_So take him up for just $9.95_

_He'll sing the songs you like_

_He'll keep you warm at night (at night)_

I didn't notice that Bobby and Jack had joined the two of us until Jack touched my shoulder. I jumped a foot, and clasped my hand to my heart. "Fuck! Jack Mercer: _DO NOT SNEAK UP ON ME_!" I screamed in fright wrenching off my headphones.

"I'll keep that in mind." he said, and got himself a beer too.

I turned off my MP3 player and hung the headphones around my neck. Jack took a stool next to me and we both turned to listen to Bobby and Angel. "So what's up, Angel?" Bobby asked before putting his beer to his lips.

"Was that councelman helpful?" Angel wanted to know first.

Bobby chuckled, "Oh, yeah. A real public servant. You remember a punk named Victor Sweet?"

That name struck me as familiar, and I offered up a connection, "I remember a **Malcolm **Sweet. ...I think..."

"Victor was his nephew." Bobby clarified. "Used to deliver things for his uncle. Like firebombs and beatings. You guys remember." Bobby said nodding to me and Angel, Jack hadn't lived at the Mercers' then. "Malcolm used to love to humiliate him all the time."

Angel and I smiled remembering the embarrassment that was funny to everyone else. "Yea, I remember that dude." "Who couldn't?"

Bobby had a smart-ass look on his face, "Yeah, well, apparently Victor got sick of the ass-whuppings and sunk his unle into the river. He owns the whole neighborhood now."

"Oh, well--is that all?" I said sarcastically, mimicing his tone. Jack and Angel smiled a little as Bobby stared me down.

"No shit. Hey, Bobby." Angel said, interupting the staring contest. "Word around town is that Jerry owed a lot of people some money."

"What are you talking about?" Bobby exclaimed. I could tell he hadn't thought any of this was going to be this bad, and he was quickly becoming furious.

"Recognize that dude over there, with the fat head?" Angel said. He, unlike his older brother, was dead calm. He pointed over Bobby's shoulder.

Bobby turned and looked where Angel was pointing, to a large black man helping his daughter bowl. "Yeah, that's Evander Pearson. He used to be all right, that guy. Jerry and him used to hang during the union days."

"Well," I started, "he goes by 'Evan' now. And he's working for a guy named **Victor**."

Jack put his beer down and mumbled in dispirited astonishment, "You guys are coming up with this pretty quick."

"Yeah." Bobby agreed with an equally dishearted nod. "We should have been cops. So what are we doing here, you two?"

Jack suddenly shot out of his seat like it was on fire, _Holy _**shit**." he gasped looking past our small group. I didn't have to turn around to know what was happening; the fourth Mercer brother had just entered the building.

I swung my bottle lamely in a circle an inch or so above the bar. "We found out Jerry got a big insurance check for Evie's death. Bobby, don't!" Bobby had made a quick move to follow after Jerry.

"Be cool, brother." Angel warned, still keeping the icey calm air around him. "Forget Jerry. We're gonna find him later. Come one." The four of us deserted our beers and walked across the bowling alley toward Evan.

"Yo, Evander! What's up?" Bobby shouted as we all neared. Evan shouted to his wife that they were leaving, he held his daughter near him. Thinking that Bobby wouldn't do anything if his kid was right there.

_He obviously does not know Bobby when he's pissed._

"It's nice to see you, but we was just leaving." He tried to tell Bobby.

Bobby stopped him from leaving, "You ain't going no-where. What was you talking to Jerry about?"

"Nothing. Just saying hello." Evan covered quickly.

_Not good enough._

"Me and Jerry go way back to the union days. You know that, Bobby." he continued in desperation.

"Angel and Kari tell me you're one of Victor Sweet's boys now. Hear he's runnin' shit like his uncle. Treating you like a house nigger." Bobby said, prying for information. **ME: Sorry I don't mean to offend any one, but it's in the script--it's not me I promise!**

"What are you thinking about, Evan. The dude's a punk." Angel adviced.

"You've been gone a long time, fellas. Times change." Evan said in a low, almost threatening, tone.

"What's in the envelope, Evander?" I asked, arms crossed tight across my chest. I was't intimidated by his lame threat.

"What envelope?" Evan asked, nervousness clear in his tone.

Jack managed to turn his laugh into a cough; I just laughed and covered my mouth with my hand in an attempt to muffle the noise. _Wow._ That_ was original, Evan._

Bobby took a **persuading** step forward, "You wanna play that fucking game with me right now?"

"Y'all gonna do this here?" Evan begged, with a distressed glance at his little girl.

"Right here. Right now." Bobby finished.

"Give me the envelope and take a walk. Now!" Angel ordered.

Bobby held out his hand and Evan reluctantly handed over the manila envelope. "We'll see your ass again real soon. Let's go."

**((FF))**

The four of us were sitting in my car, Angel was in the drivers seat, Bobby in the passengers and Jack and I shoved in the back seat. We were parked across the street from Jerry's house. Everyone was pretty high-strung.

Especially Bobby, he was having the most trouble dealing with the thought of one of his brothers possibly selling out their mother. "I ain't playing no more. I'm gonna go in there and bust that melon and find out what he's thinking." He went to unbuckle his seatbelt and open the door.

"No, Bobby! Don't!" I pleaded, I was equally as angry and disgusted with Jerry but he was still **Jerry**. _Isn't he...?_

"His family's in there." Jack reminded his big brother.

"I don't give a shit, man." Bobby growled. Never the less he slumped into his seat like a 5 year old whose parents had denied him a stop at McDonald's.

Jack and I looked at each other, each with worried expressions on. Neither of us would admit it, but it was scary to see Bobby this broken up about something. Bobby had always been the strong one, we all lent on him for support. Now it was hard to know who to lean on and the feeling of being lost was almost overwhelming.

"You're gonna have to calm down." Angel told him, while digging his cell out of his pocket.

"Oh, I'm calm." Bobby said dryly. "I'm calm." he repeated, actually calming down a little enough to keep quiet as Angel called Jerry. He started mummbling to himself staring out of the window into the cold night, "He thinks I'm an idiot. He thinks I don't know what the **fuck** is going on."

Jack and I were whispering to Bobby that he needed to relax when an outburst from the normally collected Angel caught all of our attention, "We still family, right?" A few seconds later he clicked the phone shut.

"Is he coming?" Bobby asked impatiently.

"Yeah."

"Good."

My cell phone rang as I walked up to the front door. Jack stopped to wait for me on the stairs. I fought with my jean pocket before pulling the cell phone out. **CHASE** read across the small screen. "Hey, Chase. What's up?"

**"Not much. I was just trying to get into our apartment, when it was brought to my attention that someone has changed the locks after I moved out."**

"The apartment, oh. Right, oops! Well I don't really have a spare key hidden anywhere. What do you need to get in for anyway? Is some of your stuff there?"

**"You still have my favorite button up blue shirt."**

I giggled in embarrassment, "Oh, yeah...! I think I wore the shirt--uhhh--like a week ago. It might be under the bed. I think."

**"Well, what good does that do me if I can't get in!?"**

I glanced in Jacks' direction, "Well I'm not really in Chicago; I'm out in Detroit with... some old friends."

**"When do you plan on being back?"**

"Back...? Well, not that long, I guess. I-I've got some stuff I've gotta do, then I'll probably be back." I jumped as the front door slammed. Jack was no longer waiting for me. I managed to catch a glimce of him before he disappeared upstairs. From the way he was walking he was upset. _Damnit, Jack! I never said I was going to stay. And I _ do _ have an apartment in Chicago, a job too if I haven't been fired yet._

**"You still there, Kari?"**

"What? Oh, sorry. I zoned for a second. Look, I have to go, I'll call you when I start to head back."

**"Sounds good. But hurry up, would you! Later."**

"Bye."

_Great, now he's gonna be mad about me leaving._ I thought in anger and frustration. A few minutes later I wasn't angry, but I was crying silently. I didn't want Jack to be mad with me. I knew I'd probably just destroyed whatever romantic feelings Jack held toward me.

I sighed and brushed the tears off me cheeks, _I have to go talk to him. Atleast so he doesn't _hate _me._

Chase. Chase was my ex-boyfriend. He was always nice to me, too nice, and that was probably what turned me off the most in the end. For a while I loved all of the attention, I'd never gotten attention like that. After a while, I didn't need the roses every monday, or the calls at night before bed. It was nice but I liked ALONE time too. I'd never told him of my life back in Detroit -none of it.

When we broke up we both decided it just wasn't what it had been. That was why we were still close. No one really had there heart broken, and I only had really had him as a friend in Chicago, I needed some form of social contact.

"...AND 'OLD FRIENDS'? SHIT KARI!" Jack yelled at me. He was seriously pissed off. He was keeping his distance though, and I were glad - although I hated to admit it- We were both afraid he'd overreact again and push me, or worse. I'd never seen him this mad. _Shit_. I thought blandly. _There's nothing I can say. I don't know why I sad it, I just did!_

He'd wanted to know who Chase was? Why I hadn't told him about 'your guy back **home**? He wanted to know if I **enjoyed** messing with him Jack - apparently I always lead him on and then leave - did I **enjoy** hurting him like that?

I hadn't been able to say anything, I was completely taken aback. I just stod there, itching at the hem of my shirt, a little scared, and avoided eye contact with Jack.

"Nothing!? I didn't think so." Jack huffed. He leaned back againt his bedroom wall and looked away from me, disgusted.

I took a quick step forward, he stiffened at the advance. "Jack, I..." But I didn't know what to say. I was going back.

_Maybe this is better. I can leave. I can leave and know he doesn't care anymore. I've made him hate me now. I won't hurt him any more._

"Forget it. All of it, okay!?" he hissed, refusing to look in my direction. As much as I tried to deny it, I felt my heart splinter and shatter. "Just... get out, K." he whispered. I turned and wrenched open the door to an angry looking Bobby.

"What the HELL is with all the yelling?" he commanded looking at me then over my shoulder, at Jack.

"Nothing." I sighed. I stepped past him and slipped into my room before either of them could see the tears.

"Pull it together, Molloy." I growled and blotted out the tears on my face. I stopped to look at my apearance in the mirror. Mascara was smudged under my eyes and I was sweating. I pulled off my heavy turtle neck and stopped everything when my eyes fell on my neck. A new wave of depression set in, I couldn't believe today had gone so...

_Wrong._

I was shoveling all of my belongings into my bag. I was leaving tomorrow -whether we discovered what Jerry really had to do with Evelyns' death or not. I was going to leave while the wound was fresh, so I couldn't change my mind.

As I was clogging my bag with parcels of clothing a piece of paper hit the floor. I let out an annoyed sigh and bent down. I looked at it with a confused face. The paper was old and worn, so much so that it felt soft, almost cotton-y. I unfolded it and squeezed my eyes shut as more tears came. I refolded the paper and set it on the night-stand next to the old bottle of water. _I'm_ not _taking that back with me._

About ten minutes later I had set my full bag on the floor, my knees were pulled up againts my chest and my bottom lip quivered dangerously. It was cold in bed, even with a long sleeve shirt on and the blankets up to my chin I couldn't shake the cold, and I felt small in the world without Jack there. And I knew he wasn't sneaking in tonight- or any other night- even if he wanted to. I closed my eyes, the message of the paper burning on the back of my eye lids.

_SORRY ABOUT MIKE._  
**-JACK**  
_**PS: I LOVE YOU**_

The last line was scribbled over, but burned the brightest in my mind. _And now I've ruined it. I always fuck things up!! The Mercers' would just be better if they'd never have met me! God Dammit!!!_

I dropped off into an uncomfortable and superficial sleep.

_Goodbye, Detroit Goodbye, Mercers. Goodbye, Jack._


	14. Bullets Fly

**DISCLAIMER::** I do not _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

_Maybe this is better. I can leave. I can leave and know he doesn't care anymore. I've made him hate me now. I won't hurt him any more._

"Forget it. All of it, okay!?" he hissed, refusing to look in my direction. As much as I tried to deny it, I felt my heart splinter and shatter. "Just... get out, K." he whispered. I turned and wrenched open the door to an angry looking Bobby.

**((skipping a little bit))**

About ten minutes later I had set my full bag on the floor, my knees were pulled up againts my chest and my bottom lip quivered dangerously. It was cold in bed, even with a long sleeve shirt on and the blankets up to my chin I couldn't shake the cold, and I felt small in the world without Jack there. And I knew he wasn't sneaking in tonight- or any other night- even if he wanted to. I closed my eyes, the message of the paper burning on the back of my eye lids.

_SORRY ABOUT MIKE._  
**-JACK**  
_**PS: I LOVE YOU**_

The last line was scribbled over, but burned the brightest in my mind. _And now I've ruined it. I always fuck things up!! The Mercers' would just be better if they'd never have met me! God Dammit!!!_

I dropped off into an uncomfortable and superficial sleep.

_Goodbye, Detroit Goodbye, Mercers. Goodbye, Jack._

I woke up to Gabe Saporta asking me if I'd heard of his religion. "G-A-B-E gonna get you high..." I sang in a whispery voice. "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I know I slept in, now shut the fuck up." I grumbled as I punched off my radio-alarm, Gabe disappeared. "8:37 am" the clock read. _God damnit!_

My alarm had originally been set for 6:30. However, I hadn't gotten the best nights sleep; so I'd slept through the alarm. By now everyone would be up, defeating my purpose of waking early. I was now going to be forced to spend the day with **him**. My throat tightened at the thought. _Hopefully they'll be too caught up with Jerry. _ I thought dismally. This thought brought a small ray of optomism that I wouldn't have to spend a lot of angry-awkward moments with the youngest Mercer brother. I was angry with him, and he was obviously furious with me, for good reasons, and stupid ones.

I slipped on a pair of ripped up jeans that were old and worn- my favorite pair, tied up my converse and shoved my cellphone into my back pocket. I found my best top: a white long-sleeve shirt with: _**LIFE SUCKS...**_ written on the front; and: _**...THEN YOU DIE**_ on the back. This was my bestfriend, Amandas' motto. She'd gone online and made her own shirt and purchased two- hers was the reverse colors. She was my roommate back in Chicago. _Wonder what she's up to. Oh, right. Wedding plans... almost forgot._ Her boyfriend -Paul- had finally proposed. They were fucking crazy about each other. It made me sick, but I loved 'em both to death. _I'm jealous._ I admitted - even though it killed me to do so.

I turned the handle of my door when it was thrown open from the outside, I screamed: "Fuck!" as the door smacked my forehead. "What the hell!?"

There was a quick and half-hearted, "Sorry." Before Sofi attacked with questions, "What was with all the yelling last night? Why's Jack in such a pissy mood? Bobby's being more of a dick than usual."

All I could do was stand there, with my hand on my head. "Shit." I groaned. I crossed my room, in the process nearly breaking my leg by tripping on my full bag, and struggled to open the window. Once that task was out of the way I gathered a handful of the sticky white substance that was abundant in the late days of Detroit fall. I rubbed the snow softly against my injured forehead, _Well I don't think my luck could get_ any _better today._ I turned back to Sofi who was staring wide-eyed at my duffel bag.

"And what the hell is with the bag, chica?" she asked. Her tone was soft, though, and filled with concern. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. That's what. Not a damn thing is going on, except that I'm leaving first chance I get, and I will _not_ be saying goodbye. No, not even to Jack." I added, seeing the look on her face. "The yelling: Jack's apparently the jump-to-conclusions-jealous type. His attitude: well, I don't know. You'll have to ask him, because everything's just going the way he wants it to, now! And Bobby's mood: No _FUCKING_ idea." I finished, running my hands in the air and the snow out the window into the street. I slammed the window, the glass shaking in its frame.

"I didn't mean Bobby was being mean to me." she said, she was smirking. _I think Sofi's been spending too much time here with us--with the_ Mercer brothers. _She's even smirking now._ She sat on the foot of my bed as she finished, "He's being abnormally cruel to a certain rocker."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you shitting me?"

"Nope." she smiled. She sat next to me and pushed my shoulders gently so I rocked side-to-side. "I may not be an expert, but, uh...I'm pretty sure Bobby knows, now."

I laughed and shook my head, "Ya think!?" Bobby had been there when he'd heard Jack and I yelling. He'd be lieing if he told me that he was worried Jack would snap again and I'd run off. Well, I was running off this time, but Jack had meant it when he said it would never happen again.

_**I**__ would have hit me._ I admitted silently. _Bobby probably made Jack tell him. Good. I hope he gets a fucking earful from his older brother. The asshole._

But the curse was only half hearted, and just a little spitefull. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair exasperatedly. I told Sofi the story, there was no getting her to just drop it.

"Aye-yah. Es muy malo, no?" she grumbled.

I laughed a little despite myself. "And today I've got the **worst** fucking luck. I was planning on leaving early this morning -don't give me that look- but I over slept. Then when I finally built up enough courage to actually _go_ downstairs, I get beamed in the fucking head with my DOOR. _And_ you dragged the story out of me and now that it's out there it means it wasn't a sucky-nightmare and it really happened and I... I am so screwed." I finished by throwing my hands in the air in frustration.

"I'm sorry he's a moron," Sofi hugged me. I nearly fell off the bed in surprise. She pulled back and gave me a sisterly smile, "and I'm sorry I beamed you with the door."

I snickered, "It's okay, I deserved it. Let's go, shall we?"

The two of us ventured downstairs to find Bobby and Jack passing profanities at each other.

I didn't even look their way, there was no reason to. I made it into the kitchen to find Angel shaking his head, "What the fuck is going on?" he was obviously starting to get a headache from his family.

I just looked at Sofi and sighed. I walked over to the cupboards and found an apple that hadn't looked like it'd gone bad yet. I took small bites, each time forcing myself to swallow; I wasn't exactly hungry.

"Well, that does explain it." Angel whistled. Sofi told him for me.

I just nodded slowly.

"You all right, baby girl?" he asked.

Angels' gentleness panged something inside of me. I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I opened my mouth to speak. To tell someone that I felt like shit; that the back of my shirt was the thing that kept crossing your mind: dieing; that I felt like an asshole; that I was furious; that I was sorry.

Before I could, Bobby yelled for me from the other room. My body tightened up, adrenaline pumping through me as the thought of facing _him_ became inevitable. But I wouldn't let him win, I blinked back the tears coolly and took a bigger bite of the apple. I'm tough, holding in my emotions was a specialty of mine.

When I walked into the room I only looked at Bobby. However, out of the corner of my eye I could see Jack, tall, lean, in a white shirt with some black print on it. I could just see that his face was turned away from me and the hall was capivating his sight.

"Look, Bobby." I started interrupting whatever rant he was going to go on, "I really don't care. Whatever you feel you have to say _isn't_ going to change anything. For once it really isn't your fight. So I suggest that whatever bad mood you've got now: stop wasting it on _him_ and don't even start with _me_. Save it for Jerry. I think what happened to Evie is a hell of a lot more important than this." I said. My voice was cold and only angry. The overall emotionless attitude that was carried even scared me a bit, it was like I wasn't **you**. I raised the apple again to my teeth.

Bobby just glared at me, angry and stunned. He was also obviously listening to what I said. He visibly relaxed his body. Suddenly my phone went off, "Well, _**shit**_. Most calls I've gotten all month long." I joked dryly. I walked across the room and passed Jack, keeping myself away from him like he had a disease. It was only so that I wouldn't touch him; I'd lose it if I got that close.

I saw Jerrys' car pull up around the back of the house as I stepped onto the glass porch, "Jer's here!" I called. I pulled my phone out and snapped it open. **AMANDA**. _Well, that's ironic._ I smirked.

"Hey! What's up, slut?" I smiled.

"Nice to hear from you, too." she said, I could hear her laughing. "Nothin' much. Where the fuck are you, you whore!? I stopped by to give you my last rent check and you was gone."

"'You was gone'...? I see your grammar went straight to hell. I had to get back to Detroit. Evelyn Mercer, the one I'm always talking about, she was shot and I had to come back and help her boys find her killer." I explained. I situated myself into the chair in the corner as Angel had been when the group of us had found him after the funeral.

I could see into the house through a window, Jerry came in and got a facefull of Bobby's fist.

"Wait. You had to help the Mercer brothers find their mothers' killer? Isn't that what the police are for?" she was genuinally confused.

Jerry was on the floor now, Bobby screaming in his face. I felt a pang of betrayal. I was unsure if it was for Bobby, or for Jerry that his brothers would believe he'd do that to their own mother.

"You obviously did not grow up in Detroit, honey. The cops don't do shit."

Jerry jumped to his feet, he punched Bobby in the mouth and the same to Angel, who stumbled across the room. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but they were furious. I could make out the back of Jack's head, he twitched uneasily in his seat.

"It's not working out with me here though. I'm headin' back west."

"You ok? You sound depressed." she was worried about me. _Atleast somebody is._

"Yeah, I'm fine. And before you ask: yes I'm SURE." I teased. "I've just been a serious idiot, I was being stupid and blind."

"OK. Well I just wanted to check in and make sure you were _still alive_!! My mom and Paul and I were worried - we haven't heard from you in while - that's all." Amanda's mom was like Evie. She had a huge heart and was too nice for her own good. The fact that she was so nice to me and reminded me of Evelyn was probably why she and I were closer than me and Amanda.

Jack must have raised a question because Jerry was yelling at him now.

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

I didn't even turn in my seat. "I gotta go Amanda, I'll see you soon." Jack got up, glancing out the window, I caught his eye, his expression softened for a second. I waved him off. **I've got it.** He narrowed his eyes at me and sat back down.

I grasped the doornob and pulled open the door.

Only to be hammered in the face with a snowball. "Evelyn was a whore!" the hooded asshole flipped me off over his shoulder.

I lept over the steps and scooped up a ball of snow all in one fluid motion. "Get your ass back here you little fuck! I'm only gonna kick your ass!"

My legs pumped as I ran with amazing speed after him. This kid was the focus of my anger. He was the reason why my mother beat me. The reason why Evie was gone. The reason why Jack hated me. The reason why I didn't hate Jack. The reason why the Mercer family was beginning to rip itself apart. All I wanted to do was punch this kids face in to make everything better.

He had other plans.

He stopped suddenly in the middle of the road. He whipped around to face me, he wore a Jason-style hockey mask. A flash of silver made my blood run cold, and I froze. _Fuck._ Was all I could think to say as a look that clearly read: **Oh, shit** washed over my face.

The bullet hit me in the chest even before the snowball slid to the ground from my fist.

I dropped to my knees as everything around me descended into chaos.

**((JACKS POV)) ((Short RW))**

**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.**

I moved to get up, but something caught my eye. I focussed on it, it was Kari. My chest hurt and it was hard to breath, looking at her. People talk about broken hearts, I always thought it was a cheesy expression; but I was beginning to believe it, I could feel it continuing to break. She waved her hand in the air carelessly and travelled toward the front door. I glared at her, she was completely fine while I was suffering. _What the hell are you suffering for, Jack. You called it off. Forget it!_ I argued with myself.

"It's all about Jerry, right?" Angel hollered, everyones emotions were strained and everyone was angry.

Bobby looked past me out the window, then glanced around the room, he looked pale. I felt my stomach flip, something was _seriously_ wrong. "Legs!?" Bobby called.

_Fuck._ I stood up, out of my seat like it bit me, "Kari!" I yelled. I don't know why but I was suddenly scared out of my mind, she wasn't at the door - which was left open letting in the ice cold wind.

The four of us rushed to the front door and looked down the street.

Only to see Kari shot pointblank in the chest. I felt sick. I screamed her name, trying to call her back to the house. It was no use, she fell to her knees. The gunamn stepped forward and lowered the gun to her head. _NO!_

"Get the fuck back, Jackie." Bobby growled quickly, shot gun in hand. He brought up the weapon with amazing speed and shot the masked man in the chest.

She got up to try and get away, I blinked at the rapid gunfire that erupted against her leg, bringing her involuntary to her knees once more in a snow pile. Bobby shoved me back in the house. Above the gunfire I could hear her screaming.

For help.

For me.


	15. Before Your Eyes

**Disclaimer:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

The four of us rushed to the front door and looked down the street.

Only to see Kari shot pointblank in the chest. I felt sick. I screamed her name, trying to call her back to the house. It was no use, she fell to her knees. The gunamn stepped forward and lowered the gun to her head. _NO!_

"Get the fuck back, Jackie." Bobby growled quickly, shot gun in hand. He brought up the weapon with amazing speed and shot the masked man in the chest.

She got up to try and get away, I blinked at the rapid gunfire that erupted against her leg, bringing her involuntary to her knees once more in a snow pile. Bobby shoved me back in the house. Above the gunfire I could hear her screaming.

For help.

For me.

**((Kari's POV))**

They say that: before you die... life flashes before your eyes.

It not so much flashes, as it does haunt your entire being. Maybe the more pain you're in, the longer the flashes. Because I was recieveing full blown memories.

I could clearly recall being shot, everything after that was a loud blur. My throat burned and I could vaguely remember scream; for what, was beyond me.

I was laying on my back in front of my old house and the Mercer brothers, along with Sofi, were gathered around me, looking distraught and horrified. They all had tears streaming down their faces and they were talking to me, but I couldn't hear them, their lips just moved animatedly.

Movement behind them caught my eye. Sofi was shaking and appeared to be screaming into a phone.

Everything drifted to darkness.

**((Flashback))**

**"Please, come with me. Angel won't come, and I don't want to go by myself. Por favor, chica?" an 18 year old Sofi was giving me the hurt puppy look.**

**A 15, almost 16 year-old 'me' huffed, "If you stop looking at me like that, yes."**

**"Yay!" Sofi squealed and gav a small hop.**

**"Ma! I'm leaving!" I screamed back into the house. No answer. Not that I'd been expecting one.**

**"But Sofi, I don't really have the money to buy stuff." I was still trying to get out of it.**

**"I know! But I think I heard Angels mom saying it was your birthday soon and I wanted to get you something." She smiled at me. Sofi was being nice, this was new.**

**"Sofi, you don't have to ge-" I argued.**

**"Nah! I want to. You're my friend too, you know!" she smiled.**

**"Nothing big. A pair of earrings or something. Okay?" I made her promise.**

**Sofi was always nice to me, I was a part of Angels family. More importantly I was the **_**girl**_** in Angels' family so she and I bonded. Or she had tried to bond with me, anyway.**

**((PRESENT))**

I opened my eyes again, taking in a labored breath. Still no noise.

_I should have been nicer. I shouldn't have been such a bitch to Angels' girlfriend._

_Shit, Angel don't cry._

Black blanketed me once again.

**((Flashback))**

**"It's not that hard, Legs!" Angel hollered as he skated backward infront of me. I was 10. Angel was about 15.**

**"I can't do it, Angel! I can't! I'll fall!" I screamed back. But I was giggling uncontrollably.**

**Angel was trying to teach me how to skate. I'd seen them all playing hockey and I **_**needed**_** to know how too, so I could join.**

**I took a tiny step forward and screamed with laughter as I threw my arms out on either side of me for balance. "There you go! See, you're moving!" He encouraged. He gripped my arms for extra balance. "Just try not to take off there. Hm?" he said, refering to my airplane-like stance.**

**I laughed again. "Shut up! I just don't wanna-"**

**"Fall. Yeah, you keep saying that. Well, it's bound to happen eventually, Kari." he reminded me.**

**"Maybe. But I intend on taking my time before I fall." I grinned. Adrenaline was set in my veins and I dared. I pushed forward with one foot and glided across the ice.**

**I got a handle on skating very quickly after that.**

**Angel was smiling at me from ear to ear. "Alright! Now, stopping."**

**My face fell. "Ughh... do I have to?"**

**He laughed and took off down the ice, snapped his feet the the side and stopped. He repeated the process when he sped back. "Your turn."**

**I was pale as I did as told. I took a deep breath and leaned back as I pulled into a hockey stop. My butt hit the ground and I could hear Angel laughing as he skated over quickly.**

**"Doesn't hurt as bad as you thought, does it?" he teased.**

**"No..." I said uncertainly. I thought it would have killed, and I waited for the pain, it didn't come. Smiling, I looked up at Angel. "How do you get up now?"**

**He laughed again and showed me. By the time it was starting to get dark out I had it down pat.**

**"You're a quick learner." he admired, ruffling my hair.**

**"You're a good teacher." I hugged him and waved from my front steps.**

**((END))**

I squirmed against the ground. I recognized that I should be cold, I was laying in snow and was soaked. But my body was too numb.

Everything was just numb.

Jerry was staring at me, but he was looking through me.

**((flashback))**

**"What are you on about now!?" Jerry asked as I knock on his door for the thousandth time.**

**I held up my homework with a wounded-puppy face and whined: "I can't do it. Can you help me? Ple-e-ease?" I drew out the "e" sound just to annoy him.**

**He snatched the paper from me and stalked back into his room. "Let me see that." he mumbled. As he turned away from me, I could see the crooked smile that betrayed his angry demeanor.**

**"I just need help on number three. After that I should be okay. It's factoring numbers, I guess." I said scratching my head.**

**Jerrys' pencil waved through the air as he thought about the problem. I could all but see the gears whirring in motion in his head.**

**A few moments later and Jerry was showing me how to do it on my own. He was the Mercer brother who kept me in school and who helped me keep my grades up.**

**I owed him my education.**

**((END))**

The first thing I realized was that this time, there was sound. Mostly it was a loud ringing in my eays, but I could hear Bobby. I focussed on him for a moment.

"Come on, Legs." Bobby pleaded, "Come on, damn it Kari, you gotta breathe!"

**((Flashback))**

**It was early August and Jack and I were about to start freshmen year of high school this fall. I was going to be the youngest in the grade- as always.**

**Bobby was back, he was visiting for a while and 'taking it easy'.**

**Jack and I were chewing some grape flavored bubble gum. We were seeing who could make the biggest bubble.**

**I laughed at Jack as the gum shot out between his lips and hit the dusty Detroit earth. He glared at the gum, then at me.**

**"Shit, Jackie. What's with the death glare?" Bobby's voiced asked him, he leaned against the tree that was a yard or so from the picnic table Jack and I sat on.**

**Jack just shrugged and dug through his pocket in search for a new piece. I knew it had been his last one.**

**I sighed and looked at the pure blue sky - until something that scared me even more that my mother caught ymy eye; and it was a half and inch from my face.**

**A bee.**

**A yellow jacket had smelled the grape fragrance that stained the air around my face. The tiny demon hovered outside of my lips. The buzzing was the most petrifying sound I'd ever heard.**

**With out opening my mouth I screamed from within my throat. A terrified scream, and tears washed from my eyes quickly.**

**Jack froze at my side, unable to think of anything to do.**

**Bobby, however didn't miss a beat. He stepped forward and without hesitation and grasped the bee in his outstretched hand and squeezed.**

**"Fucking, son of a..." he cursed as he pulled his hand to his chest.**

**I was still staring wide-eyed at the space infront of my lips, where, moments ago, a yellow jacket had been prepared to attack. I was hyper-ventallating with fear.**

**"Fairy, go get me a safety pin, or needle or something and a band-aid." Bobby ordered his little brother.**

**Jack mumbled something about the nickname, but obeyed.**

**I instantly spat the gun out of my mouth, next to Jacks' piece. I leapt off of the table and into Bobbys arms. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" I cheered.**

**Bobby gently brushed the squashed bee from the palm of his hand. "The asshole stung me." he complained. He needed the needle to get the stinger out.**

**I looked at his hand and then up at his face.**

**He saw my confused expression and raised an eyebrow.**

**"Why?" I asked him in utter amazement.**

**"Why, what?" he asked back, looking more shocked than confused. "Why **_**crush**_** the little bastard?" he tried clarifying my question. He stroked my hair comfortingly, "Because I would **_**always **_**take a bee for you, K. I wasn't gonna stand there and **_**watch**_** the thing hurt you. It'd hurt me more than this does." he said waving his wounded hand in the air.**

**I smiled.**

**((END))**

_I'm too lucky to have someone care about me that much._

But there was someone who cared about me even more, if that were possible.

Jack.

I looked up at him. His eyes were red and he was sobbing. He was holding my hand, I couldn't tell if it was him shaking or if it was me. His other hand was firmly against my cheek, "No, Kari, no. Please. Don't die, Kari! Please. No!" he begged.

In his eyes I could see it, he'd give anything to change places with me at this moment if it meant I would live.

But I wouldn't wish this on him. Never. I wouldn't be able to do it. I couldn't live if I watched him die. _But he's upset because he feels guilty about the fight. And now I might - I'm going to - die._

"You have to keep breathing, Kari."

Everything went black again for the last time.

**((Flashback))**

**I slapped my hand on Evelyns' door at 11:30 at night. My hand left a bloody mark on the door as I returned it to holding the gash on my left arm, which was bleeding freely.**

**I was 11 years old and Jack had only been with Evie for about sixth months. He was finally starting to warm up to me, since I refused to leave him alone, he decided to put up with me.**

**No one ever told me about his past foster parents; which was why when Evelyn opened the door she looked at me and paled and then told Angel to take Jack upstairs. As the two of them hurried past Jack got curious, and looked over.**

**I knew I had a black eye, and I had a cut on my forehead that had blood dripping down the side of my face. I was thankful that he couldn't see the butchered graffiti on my left arm - he might have died right there. He shakily wandered up the stairs.**

**((FF--FF))**

**I sat, curled up on the couch, Evie had tried to get me to go upstairs but I couldn't make it. She had to go speak with Jack.**

**I leaned back on the sofa and closed my eyes, er, well, eye. Evie had me holding an ice pack on my swelling eye. I sighed as the Advil I had taken started to kick in. I slipped into a light sleep.**

**Only to be woken about thirty minutes later by the a weight being added at my feet on the sofa. I sucked in a lung full of air in fear, and swiped the icepack away. **_**She found me!**__** She got in and she's going to carve in the rest of the letters!**_

**"Kari! It's ok!" a voice said, a hand touched my knee.**

**"Jack?" I sighed, laying a hand over my heart. "Don't freakin' **_**do**_** that! I nearly screamed. O God." I rambled while breathing quickly.**

**"Sorry." he whispered. He hung his head in the dark in embarrasment. "H-How... um... bad are you? Are you gonna be ok?"**

**I was surprised by this, "Uh... I'm fine. I guess. It's not that bad; I've been worse." I laughed darkly at the thought.**

**The two of us sat in silence for a while. The only sound was the crunching of ice outside as cars drove by and the muffled sound of police sirens blocks away. And the sound of my stomach growling. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, it was now 1 am.**

**Jack disappeared into the kitchen. "What're you doing!?" I whispered.**

**He reappeared and took his seat, loyally, next to me. "You sounded hungry, and the way these things go... they don't really take the time to feed you while they beat you around the house." He handed me a sleeve of saltines. "Sorry, all I could find. Bobby was over earlier this week and Ms. Mer-- Ma's going to get food tomorrow." He was still getting used to the whole "being adopted" thing.**

**I smiled and popped open the plastic. "I don't think I'd be able hold anything else down anyway. Thanks for the crackers, Jack." I placed a saltine on my tongue and hummed thoughtfully, "I like that: Crackers, Jack. Cacker-Jack. I think we've just found your new name." I teased.**

**He laughed then helped himself to some of the crackers, also.**

**"How did you know? About her not feeding me, I mean." I stuttured.**

**He sighed, and turned his sad green-blue eyes to me. "You never wondered why I was jumbled from foster home to foster home? Or where all the bruises were from."**

**"I just figured you had bad luck." I teased gently. I hated talking about this stuff, it was a pretty heavy topic.**

**"Trust me, I think that's a **_**huge**_** part of it." he mumbled, and pushed another cracker between his thin lips.**

**"Don't think that Cracker-Jack. That crap has nothing to do with how you acted. BLAHH! I don't want to talk about this. I mean there's no use talking about it, and I won't deny it because it's hard to when I'm bleeding because of it." I argued.**

**The two of us sat in silence again. "Sorry." I whispered.**

**His head snapped around to look me with an "are-you-crazy?" look. "Sorry for what? You did,'t--"**

**"About coming here. I should have known. You just got here, I saw how you looked. I didn't mean to freak you out like that." I explained.**

**He hesitantly put his arm around my shoulders. "Shut up. I'll get over it. that shit doesn't happen to me anymore. I'll make sure that shit doesn't happen to you any more either." he promised.**

**A promise he and the rest of the Mercer brothers would, sadly, be unable to keep. **

**"Thanks, Jackie."**

**((END))**

"You can't leave me here, Kari." Jack demanded. "I need you; I love you."

_There's no more pain. That's good. And the snow isn't melting through my clothes, that's a lot better. _

_"Jack, I'm okay now. JACK!? ANGEL!? SOFI!? GUYS!?"_

_Something caught my eye. In this white room that had no visible floor, cieling or walls. A woman was walking towards me. "...Evie...? What are you doing here? You-- you're dead." _No

_Evelyn Mercer smiled at me gently, as tears flowed down my cheeks. "Kari. Honey." she hugged me. "You need to turn your pretty little ass around and march straight back there you hear me!?" she ordered._

_I looked at her wide-eyed. She smiled again. "I need some one down there with a head on her shoulders to keep my boys out of trouble. Besides, I don't know how much more my Jackie could take without you."_

_"I don't think I can, Evie. I mean... I'm..." I stuttered, but she was gone._

_**"I need you; I love you. Kari, please..."**_

_Jacks' voice called from behind me. "Jack!?" I screamed, spinning around. His voice faded, I turned back to Evie. But she was gone, disappeared into thin air._

_**"God, no. Kari... I'm sorry."**_

_I could hear him getting fainter and fainter, I ran as fast as I could toward the melodic sound of his voice._


	16. Sweet Home Chicago

**Disclaimer:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

"...Evie...?"...

"I need some one down there with a head on her shoulders to keep my boys out of trouble. Besides, I don't know how much more my Jackie could take without you." She smiled. ...

**"I need you; I love you. Kari, please..."**

Jacks' voice called from behind me. "Jack!?" I screamed, spinning around. His voice faded, I turned back to Evie. But she was gone, disappeared into thin air.

**"God, no. Kari... I'm sorry."**

I could hear him getting fainter and fainter, I ran as fast as I could toward the melodic sound of his voice.

**((JACKS' POV))**

I never realized how tightly she was squeezing my hand until the pressure died suddenly.

_NO!_

I tried to yell to her, to make her open her eyes again, but I had no voice, everything was numb. _She can't die. All those fucking things I said. O God. _ I felt nauseous as I realized all of the horrible things I'd done to her.

Bobby sniffed and got up, anger flowing from him, I could feel it. I wan't sure if I'd ever seen him this furious. I knew I would have been if I were feeling anything other than utter depression.

Turning my tearful gaze back to Kari I lifted her limp body and held her, not noticing the blood that drenched my own clothes. I buried my face in her soft hair and cried, pleading softly into her ear.

I was vaguely aware of Bobby prying her gently from my grip as the paramedics arrived. "Come on, Jackie. They'll fix her up." Bobby tried to tell me. But I knew it was a false hope. She wasn't going to come back. The paramedics said she was being helicoptered to Chicago, her medical advisor was there, some woman, "Amanda"'s mother. She was going to make the decision while Kari was in her coma.

_If she makes it that long. _I thought hoplessly.

**((FF))((18 hours later))**

I stood outside her bedroom door at about three in the morning. I couldn't sleep. Everytime I closed my eyes for more than a second she was there. It wasn't her dieing, but she was smiling at me and laughing innocently. I couldn't take that, remembering her. It hurt.

I lifted a shaking hand and managed to push open the door. I stepped in and quickly shut the door behind me before I talked myself out of it.

Flicking on the light I saw that nothing had changed, except...

... her duffel bag lay on the floor next to her door, bursting with her belongings. I was disgusted with myself. _**She died hating you, Jack. Are your proud of yourself now? **_I kept torturing myself.

_You don't know that! She's not dead._

**You can't know that for sure. And the doctors don't even know you exist, and even if hey didn't they wouldn't call an old friend. Especially the friend whose fault it is she got shot. It should have been you out there.**

_SHUT UP! She's not dead! She's not!_

I sat down on her bed hesitantly, holding my head in my hands. Suddenly the scent of her coconut shampoo hit me. I inhaled, trying to memorize it. When I let that breath go and went to take another, I couldn't. A sob was caught in my chest. I squeezed my eyes closed trying to stop the new, but familiar, pain before it overwhelmed me.

No such luck.

It felt like some one was standing on my chest and at the same time tearing my chest apart. I wrapped my arms tightly across my ribs to hold myself together, if I let go I would fall to pieces. There was a hole taking over my body, it burned as I thought about her. I whimpered to the silent night as the wound took its time to dull. The feeling never truely went away, it just became more manageable.

I eased you grip from around myself sluggishly, testing my power to keep it together. I ran my fingers through my hair, now damp with sweat.

Something on the table next to her bed caught ymy eye.

A worn and creased piece of paper rested upon the surface. _I know that paper. _I told myself as I reached toward it.

My eyes flew across the short lines.

Another wave of misery and depression washed over me. The ripping pain came back, and I prayed it would get better, someday. I couldn't see how. She knew, she had always known, how I felt about her. I had said those terrible things to her, and now I couldn't take them back.

She had been helicopetered to a hospital in Chicago. Her medical advisor was there, and they needed someone to sign the papers so they could save her. I'd heard them talking, above the ringing in my ears, that the chances looked dim.

Eventually, I was sucked into a painful nightmare of sleep.

The dream that had been plaguing me resently, was upon me again. This time more clearly, it made sense. I had known this was going to happen, I'd seen it, I just wouldn't let myself believe that it would actually happen to Kari.

The brief letter tumbled from my rigged grasp and rested on the floor. It's first two lines were unimportant:

_**PS: I LOVE YOU**_

_I do. God, I do. __**Far**__ too much._

**((FF))((3 Weeks))**

**((KARI'S POV)**

A fervent whisper: "Hey! She's waking up!"

"J...Jack...?" My entire body was killing me. There was a soft buzzing that was filling my ears and my vision was clouded over but slowly becoming clearer. There was a figure leaning over me, a male.

"Uh, no. Shit. The doctors didn't say she'd have memory loss did they?" he asked someone out of my line of vision.

"Noooo..." a voice said, they sounded _very_ worried.

"PAUL!" I exclaimed suddenly.

A relieved smile washed over his features. "Hey, there sleeping beauty. How are you feeling. You scared us all to death there for a minute."

"O my God. Kari! Don't you _ever_ do that again!" Amanda had popped up into my sights and hugged me.

I cried out in pain involuntarily. "What happened to me? Why am I in a hospital? Why are you guys in Detroit?"

The two newly weds shared worried glances with each other. "Guys?" I was starting to panic, and the monitoring system to my heart was beeping like crazy.

"First: calm down, honey." Amanda told me, stroking my hair.

I took a deep breath. The beeping became more rhythmic.

Amanda took a deep breath, too. She prepared for my reaction, "And Second: You got shot in the chest at close range, and in the left leg a number of times. You're in the hospital because you just barely escaped death. And we aren't in Detroit."

I stared at her. Silent. Dead silent. Then, "No. No, I have to go back, Evie said... I have to... they need me!" I was rambling and moved quickly to get out of bed. Too quickly. The room spun and the beeping quickened again. This time a nurse rushed in, she put something into the IV that was connected to my arm and I felt the pain disappear, along with my hold on consciousness.

_I didn't want to leave..._

I woke up the next day to find Amandas' mother in my hospital room dressed in her scrubs. "Hey, Doc." I teased. I put some pressure on my legs, the pain seemed to be gone there, mostly.

Genines' face wrinkled gently as she smiled. "Hey, honey. How are you feeling?"

"Better, I guess. My legs seem pretty good. But my shoulder is killing me." I complained.

"Yea. I was able to reset your shin and it has some surgical pins to hold it together. You shoulder was a bit harder. Let me see?" I leaned forward and she moved the hospital gown down my right shoulder, and 'hhmmed'.

Genine was a surgeon. Scratch that. Genine was an _amazing_ surgeon. "It was a bit difficult to stitch back together the muscles and such. But you'll make a full recover. And you've got a pretty nice scar too." she giggled.

I laughed, and struggled to see the scar. It almost resembled a sliver of the moon. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Geni. So, uh, not to sound ungrateful, but when do I get out of here? I kind of have something I was hoping to, well, FIX- I guess would be the best word." I mummbled.

She smiled again like she knew what I was talking about. "That's why I'm here. I needed to see how you've healed during your short coma. You pass! You're nearly completely healed. I'll see when I can fit you in and we'll take out those screws today, hopefully. HOWEVER! If you're planning on leaving unexpectantly again, young lady, this time do something with your apartment."

"I was working on that." I told her with a sly grin.


	17. It's All For You

**DISCLAIMER:: **I do not own _Four Brothers_.

**((RECAP))**

**((Jacks POV))**

My eyes flew across the short lines. Another wave of misery and depression washed over me. The ripping pain came back, and I prayed it would get better, someday. I couldn't see how. She knew, she had always _known_, how I felt about her; I had said those terrible things to her, and now I couldn't take them back.

She had been helicopetered to a hospital in Chicago. Her medical advisor was there, and they needed someone to sign the papers so they could save her. I'd heard them talking, above the ringing in my ears, that the chances looked dim.

Eventually, I was sucked into a painful nightmare of sleep.

The dream that had been plaguing me resently, was upon me again. This time more clearly, it made sense. I had known this was going to happen, I'd seen it, I just wouldn't let myself believe that it would actually happen to Kari.

The brief letter tumbled from my rigged grasp and rested on the floor. It's first two lines were unimportant:

_**PS: I LOVE YOU**_

_I do. God, I do. __**Far**__ too much._

**((Karis POV))**

"So, uh, not to sound ungrateful, but when do I get out of here? I kind of have something I was hoping to, well, FIX- I guess would be the best word." I mummbled.

She smiled again like she knew what I was talking about. "That's why I'm here. I needed to see how you've healed during your short coma. You pass! You're nearly completely healed. I'll see when I can fit you in and we'll take out those screws today, hopefully. HOWEVER! If you're planning on leaving unexpectantly again, young lady, this time do something with your apartment."

"I was working on that." I told her with a sly grin.

I streched my aching body after a four and a half hour car ride. Due to current events my body felt older than it should, and I felt fragile. I knew how quickly things could change from bad to worse. Or immediately from perfect to downright unpleasant.

I walked up the steps to my house and opened the door. I was physically unable to move my belongings on my own, with my right arm in a sling and on-going physical therapy for my left leg. So the moving company had had to do **everything**.

It was about four in the after noon when I'd finished putting away all of my clothes, the only thing I could really do.

_Well, I guess now would be the right time to go see my neighbors. _I told myself.

I stepped outside and carefully tread across the icy sidewalk. The last thing I needed was to fall and mess up my arm **more**.

I stood outside the porch door and rang the door bell hesitantly.

As I lifted my left hand to ring the bell again the main house door opened.

Bobby stopped smack in his tracks, staring at me with wide eyes.

The two of us stood there looking at each other for a moment, me with a giggling smile on my face and he with a stunned gawk.

He blinked and strode across the porch to throw open the door. He pulled me into a crushing hug. Ignoring the screaming pain in my shoulder, I hugged him back, kissing him on the cheek, "Hi, neighbor."

With out letting go he spoke, "God, Legs. We were so worried. Don't **pull** that fucking shit!"

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I wasn't sure why I was apologizing but it was all I could think to tell him.

He finally let me go, a huge smile on his lips. I couldn't help but mimic him. It was **right** to be here.

"Is, umm, is..." I stuttered, looking past Bobby and into the house.

Bobby looked offended and blubbered, "You mean you're not here, just to see me? I thought we had something special!"

I laughed, "Shut up, Bobby. Shit, I missed you. But is he-"

"Nah." Bobby interrupted, "Finally got him out of the house for an hour or so. Sent him to buy some food. He's a wreck, Kari. Stays locked up in his fucking room fiddling with that guitar. He's gonna go ballastic when he finds out it's **you** who moved in next door."

_O, Jackie. I didn't wan't you to do that. _I felt incredibly guilty. What if I **had** died, right there in his arms? Would he have even gone out today? _Would he have still been ali- STOP IT, KARI!_ "I'm gonna go upstairs, ok? Don't tell him I'm here, I wanna surprise him."

Bobby smirked, "You'll give him a fucking heart attack." Bobby tried to warn me.

"I'm planning on giving him better things than heart attcks." I shouted from half way up the stairs.

"DISGUSTING!!" Bobby hollered. I just laughed.

I walked directly into Jacks' room and drew the door closed behind me. On his bed was an array of crumbled lined paper, completely covered with scratched hand writing, and his guitar lay amongst the debris.

I delicately set aside the instrument, and picked up the pieces of paper.

Sifting through them, I found one that was _**actually**_ legible.

I Want To Know Your Plans

_I want to know your plans_

_And how involved in them I am._

_When you leave for good this fall_

_Will I be forgiven?_

_If you want roses_

_I'll buy a bouquet._

_If that just won't cut it,_

_What can I say?_

_You're what keeps me believing_

_This world's not gone dead._

_Strengthens my bones_

_And the words in my head:_

_They pour onto paper_

_It's all for you._

_Cause that's what you do._

_That's what you do._

_No more fighting,_

_It is only a waste of our time_

_You soon will be leaving,_

_Will this strength still be mine?_

_You're what keeps me believing_

_This world's not gone dead._

_Strengthens my bones_

_And the words in my head:_

_They pour onto paper_

_It's all for you._

_I'll look out for you..._

My head snapped up at the sound of dragged footsteps up the stairs.

My heart pounded in my chest, I was sure that it was as loud as drums at a concert. A smile imprinted itself on my face. My body was tense with excitment, which I desperatelly concealed behind disinterest.

Jack opened his door and sighed, tipping his head toward the ceiling, eyes closed. He looked good, and at the same time terrible. He was still as amazing looking as ever, but much more exhausted.

"I swear to God, Jack. If I came all the way back from the dead, and this song is for some other girl..." My voice trailed off threateningly, but I was merely teasing him.

His eyes immediatelly tore from his ceiling and locked with mine. If it were possible, his gaze held more surprise than Bobbys' had. He let out a surprised gasp that sounded as if the air had been knocked out of him.

I just smiled at him for the longest time. My heart swelled as I saw the longing and love rise in his eyes. I felt as if my chest would just explode if my heart continued this way.

Suddenly, Jack was across the room holding me in his arms, his lips hungrily against my own. I kissed back with equal intensity. Eventually neither of us could breathe and Jack settled with kissing my jaw line and neck. "I missed you. I love you, Kari. I'm so sorry. I was being a fucking moron. I love you." he whispered as his lips tickled my skin.

I ran my fingers slowly through his tangled hair. "I love you too, Jackie. You can't get rid of me that easy." I joked.

He pulled his face away, to look me in the eyes. "Don't leave me?" he was asking me for a promise.

"Never." I vowed.

He searched my eyes hard for a moment, then::

"Marry me."

I stared at him. _Jack Mercer, settle down...?_ I looked back into his green-blue eyes. I could see all of the sincerity, respect, awe and love he held for me. I knew my gaze held the same emotions for him.

His face fell, I realized I hadn't answered him, "Kari, look, I --"

I pushed my lips to his again, the quickest way I could think to shut him up. I retreated gently, tears fogging my vision, "Yes, Jack. What the hell took you so long?" I sniffed, trying to still seem tough.

He gave me that crooked smile I dreamt about for weeks in the hospital before locking lips with me once again.

"I. Love. You."


	18. Epilogue

"Bobby! Watch your fucking language!" I yelled. I realized what I said and panicked: "Shit-o crap- I mean-aurgh!" I gave in and just slapped a hand over my mouth.

Bobby chuckled as Erika giggled. "Really smooth, Legs. That's some nice vocabulary you're teachin' your kid." He 'scolded' as he ruffled Erikas' hair, sending her into another fit of giggles.

Erika had light brown hair like her fathers that was light and feathery as it hung around her angelic face. She had my eyes, icey-blue and my name. Yes, if you rearrange _Kari_ you get _Rika_ we put the _E_ on for _Evelyn_. She's five years old and wants to be an actress by day and a hockey player for the Red Wings by night. As long as she gets to bring her teddy with her.

Bobby's actually visiting, he's staying nextdoor at Evie's old place. But, of course, he can't cook to save his life - literally - and is here mooching food off of me. I don't mind. I haven't seen any of the Mercer boys in five months. Except for Jerry, who drops off the girls so they can watch Erika if I need a babysitter.

"Hey, don't you tease me. You want to eat, don't ya?" I threatened.

"Pssh. I could just go the fu... just go back to Ma's and have some cereal." he countered, taking into mind that we were waiting a few more years before we corrupt poor Erika's mind.

"Then go you pain! Jeez. Uncle Bobby has no manners, huh Erika?" I said smiling at my beautiful daughter.

She smiled, her top front teeth were missing, "Nope."

Bobby gasped dramatically and started tickling her, "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

Erika shrieked with laughter and tried to scramble out of her Godfathers' embrace. I laughed and disappeared into the kitchen to finish heating up last nights chicken.

* * *

I set the plate down on the table, along with the last beer, on the small dining table. I caught Erika trying to hide a yawn. "Come on. It's time for bed, Tinkerbell."

"Oooo. But Mo--yawnnnooommy!!" she whined as crocodile tears sprang to her eyes. _A fantastic actress in the making._ "I'm not t-ti--tired." anther yawn stuttered her sentance.

"How 'bout if I tuck you in?" Bobby asked her. He's a huge softy when it comes to little kids.

She frowned at him and crossed her arms over her tiny chest before glaring back at me. "Hmpf."

Bobby smirked mischeviously and rose from his seat. Erika looked up petrified and moved to run to me. But Bobby caught her on her way off of the chair and held her up-side-down. She laughed and laughed and laughed until her face turned beet red and she and Bobby disappeared up the stairs.

I flopped into a seat thankful for the end of the day and held my head in my hands. _I will never understand how you managed to raise four_ boys _on your own, Evelyn. You are a frigging saint._

"You alright, K?" Bobby asked as he took his seat across from me and began eating.

"Huh? O, yeah..." I stared blankly at the table in front of me. "It's just hard, I don't know how Evie handled all of **you**, when I can barely keep up with **her**!"

Bobby laughed and raised the beer to his lips. "A magician never reveals her tricks, I suppose. Speaking of my brothers: you heard from Angel?"

"Nope. He and Sof. are on their honeymoon, remember?" I grinned.

He returned the grin, "Right. Vegas just got a shit load dirtier."

I laughed.

It was quiet. Well, as quiet as Detroit gets at night. Until Bobby finished his meal and was left with no excuse to not speak to me. "When was he supposed to be home?"

"Yesterday." I said in monotone. Anger that I had drown within myself suddenly threatened to make itself known. I grabbed Bobby's empty plate and bottle and stalked into the kitchen at an attempt to escape the emotions.

Bobby followed me. "He's coming home." He reassured me.

I sighed, "I know, I know. It's just... I hate it, Bobby. I mean I'm so proud of him for making it... but-" my voice caught and I turned away from Bobby. I started vigorously scrubbing the ceramic plate. "It's just hard when Erika asks me when he'll be home and I have to tell her that I don't know. Or I give her a date and she gets so excited and then he doesn't show."

Bobby rubbed my shoulder, "Want me to slash his tires so he can't leave again?"

I burst out laughing a wiped my nose on the back of my sleeve, not caring it was unhygienic. "No. But thanks for the offer, B." I hugged him on my way to the cabinet to replace the dish.

Bobby put on his serious face, "He does love you. You know that don't you?"

I smiled softly and wrung my hands together. I could only whisper, "I know. It's not enough sometimes, though. You gotta a girlfriend, yet?"

"That subject change was about as subtle as a fucking train coming through this house, Kari." Bobby growled. "...Kinda."

I perked up, "What do you mean 'kinda'!?" a smile stole across my face.

* * *

I blinked into the darkness of our room from our large two-person bed the only held one person.

_Awake again in the middle of the night? This hasn't happened in a while._

I rolled over and buried my face in his pillow to find comfort. There was none. His scent was gone.

_Well... washing pillow cases will do that, Kari, you idiot._

I hugged the uninteresting pillow nearer as the darkness pressed in on me.

_Two days. No calls, no nothing._

I huffed as I rolled my wedding ring between my fingers.

* * *

**THUMP**

_What the fuck was that!?_ My eyes were now open as wide as they could be, trying to absorb as much light as possible so that I could see. I slipped silently from my bed and pulled an oversized _**Spades**_ T-shirt over my boxers and sportsbra. I brushed my hand along the wall until I found my weapon of choice.

A hockey stick.

I slunk down the hall and poked my head inot my daughters bedroom. I could just see her head poking out of the mass on stuffed animals around her.

I breathed a sigh of relief and carefully felt my way downstairs. Outside I was dead calm, nothing shaking, barely blinking. Inside I was a wreck, my heart was beating against my ribcage and it was deafening. I couldn't tell if the thumping was in the house or in my ears. It didn't matter, I needed to do a sweep of the house, I had to protect Erika.

_Damnit! It's so fucking dark!_ I slammed my toe into a small table in the hallway.

"Hm?" Someone's voice travelled from the kitchen. The hall light came on. I blinked against the blinding lights. "...Is that my hockey stick?" he laughed.

My eyes dialated and adjusted to the brightness. The stick dropped to the ground with a clatter and my bare feet padded against the ground as I sprinted the rest of the way down the hall. Jack dropped his bag at his feet and held his arms out.

He stumbled back a little as I threw my arms around him. He gripped me back tightly, hiding his face in my hair. His breath made goose bumps rise on my skin and chills shoot through my body. "Did I ever mention how sexy you looked in my clothes?"

I laughed and kissed his cheek. "Once or twice."

He pouted, "That's all I get? I've been gone for five months and that's it?" He was only half serious, but he just opened himself up for a fight.

I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped away from him "You were supposed to be here two days ago." I pointed out. "No call. Erica cried."

((I cried.))

"I know. It was snowing a blizzard in New York and they wouldn't let any of the planes go. So Paul and I had to get a bunch of taxis all the way here." he reasoned. He reached out and put his hands on my shoulders, leaning back to meet my line of sight, "Kari...?"

"You could've called."

"Okay, looking at it now it was a retarded idea but: I just wanted to surprise you and Erika." he said. He brushed his fingers gently down my jaw line. ((I was crumbling.))

"It was easily your stupidest idea, Jack. And that's saying something! You and the guys have had a lot of stupid ideas; this tops it." I snapped.

"Kari, why are you being like this?" he asked, suddenly really worried because I was not letting it go.

"Because, Jack. I-I..." My gazed dropped from his green eyes to my feet. "I get worried, anxious, I don't know."

"Why?"

I stepped back until my back hit the doorway, and I leaned against its side. "I just get afraid that you'll..." I couldn't finish. I sounded so suspicious, when I had nothing to be suspicious about except for my own insecurities.

Jack finished my sentence for me, "...find some girl on tour...?" Then, he laughed.

"O, it's funny, is it?" I growled shoving him away as he stepped forward.

He sighed and forced me to look at him, moving so that he was always in my line of sight. "Do you want me to lie to you? Or tell you the truth?"

A lump formed in my throat and I couldn't get rid of it, my mouth was dry. "Wha.." I searched his eyes in disbelief, _What is he trying to say?_

"Kari?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. My vision was getting blurry and I tried desperately to blink away the tears.

He took the opportunity to speak, "I don't even notice the girls on the road. I don't hang out with the rest of the guys after the shows when they go to local bars, and I don't drink or anything while I'm out there, either."

I sniffed and looked at him still with blurry vision. "If I told you that, Kari, I'd be lying."

I brought my fists down on his chest. Not hard, just in a frustrated way. He let me for a few minutes, as I swore at him.

Eventually he grabbed my wrists and held me to him even as I struggled to get away. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. _How can he do that? He just told me-- and he's holding me!_

"Let me go, Jack." I hissed.

He did, but kept his grasp on my wrists. "I'm going to tell you the truth, Kari. Whether you'll listen or not. I do go out with the rest of the guys after our shows, and we drink and smoke. I've gotten pretty drunk, too. And how can I not notice the girls? They make it really hard not to notice them."

I struggled against his hold. He was ripping a hole in my chest just with his words. I hated it. I wanted to run, to get away, to hide.

But he wouldn't let go, "But then I remember that none of them know me, Kari. I'm just, 'that guy in that band' to them. And they're just, 'that girl in that mini skirt' to me. They have no idea what shit I've been through and they haven't seen me at my lowest. They don't know a thing about me. I notice them, Kari. But I stay away from them."

Tears poured from my eyes and my emotions scrambled together. I didn't know how to feel, he'd just taken me from angry, to depressed, to elated.

Jack wasn't done dragging around my emotions yet, he held my face softly between his large hands and brushed his thumbs back and forth along my cheeks to wipe away the tears. "I don't call because everytime I do Erika asks me to come home, and I **want to**, so badly, and I can't because if I do we won't have a place for me to come back **to**. And you tell me how much you miss me and love me, and I want to be in home in bed with you and I can't. I love you, and I'm always coming back here. That's the truth."

He placed his forehead against mine and left it there, watching me, waiting for me to say something. I took a deep breath, and it hit me. His scent. I missed it so much: the cigarets, the sweet sweat, and the small amount of cologne he uses.

The memories this simple thing bring back are like a kick to the stomach and I can't help but gasp aloud as blood pumps through my body. Some how Jack must have felt it too, _Maybe his hands against my face, the blood just continually flows between us._

Either way, my emotions have managed to be thrown into love and lust, as our lips crash together. Jacks hands drop quickly from my face to my butt and he lifts me onto the counter, standing between my legs. He pulls my hips to his and my hands are holding the back of his neck so that his lips can't escape mine. Our tongues touch and it sends an electric shock through my body that restarts the world after a five month vaction.

Jack manages to disentangle his lips from mine and starts placing blazing kisses down my neck while using his thumb to draw lazy circles high up on the inside of my thigh, "Did I mention that the main reason I come home is because of the amazing 'I Missed You' sex?" he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear.

I giggled, and moved to take off his shirt.

We both freeze as something moves upstairs. I have his shirt about half way up his chest and his hands have disappeared under my shirt, I can only imagine how comical we look, frozen, wide eyed and staring at the empty doorway.

The stairs start to creak and I let Jacks shirt fall back against his skin, reluctantly. He retreats his hand, making sure his fingertips tickle my skin and kisses me swiftly on the lips, "Later?"

"Later."

He starts heading off to the base of the stairs, I follow him.

He has a huge goofy grin on his face as he looks up the stair case. I smile too, knowing what's coming.

"**DADDY!!**"

"Hey, Tinkerbell!" he calls.

Erika flies down the stairs and leaps into his chest, kissing her father on the cheek. "Mommy and I missed you **soooooo** much!"

"I missed you both **soooooo** much, too." he mimicked her.

"Are you gonna stay for a while?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Now let's get you back to bed." he shifted her weight on his hips and began walking up the stairs.

"Hey, Daddy?" she asked as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hm?"

"I love you." she whispered as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

"I love you, too."


End file.
